Queen's Blade: Divine Intervention
by StoryTeller500
Summary: The timeline of the world has changed. Instead of staying on separate paths, Leina and Tomoe find themselves side-by-side on their journey to Gianos. Gifted with new incredible abilities, they must put aside their moral differences and fight their way to the Queen's Blade tournament. However Wrath and Pride are deadly sins, sins that they must overcome...or willingly embrace.
1. 0: Warriors At Odds

The Queen's Capital of Gianos slept under the warm blanket of a summer's night. The air was still, the sky was clear and the streets and marketplaces lay quiet under the majestic watch of the Queen's Castle. The coliseum lay dormant, awaiting the arrival of the many fighters ready to battle for the Queen's Blade tournament, a tournament held once every three years to decide who the next Queen shall be. However the people of Gianos were blissfully unaware of the dangers that lay beyond its walls.

On a dusty old road, high in the Black Mountains far from the capital city, an elderly couple were on their knees with their hands tied behind their backs, trembling for their lives while bathed in the fiery light of a small torch. One tall, overweight and sweaty man stood behind the elderly woman with a large rusty knife at her throat. The husband didn't dare move, having been forced to kneel in front of his wife and painfully watched her terrified face. One wrong move and she'd meet her end. The man threatening her had small beady eyes constantly and nervously looking off at their carriage and back at the man. The horses couldn't stay still, neighing as another man rummaged inside the carriage.

"Oi' Dave! We hit the jackpot here mate! These old coffin dodgers are loaded!" shouted the man from inside. His voice was deep and gravelly. Indeed the old couple were of a higher class than most people in the area, wearing expensive and sharp clothes and they decorated themselves with expensive jewellery – most of which had already been stolen from them.

"You won't get away with this" muttered the old man. Dave waved his knife towards him, giving him a swift reminder of his position.

"Shut up...Just be lucky we're only stealing. We'll let you go soon, alright?" he replied. Dave's voice was softer but still strict. He was not a man to do terrible things but was not above armed robbery. "Aaron! Hurry up in there! Who knows who could come across us!" he shouted at the carriage. 'Aaron' stepped out of the couple's carriage with a large sack of random valuables. He dropped the sack on the ground with a heavy metallic thud – the sound of money jingling together coming from inside the sack. He wiped his hands and laughed loudly. He had small, defined features but wore a large disgusting smile across his face. He approached Dave and patted him on the back.

"Dave my boy, this is it for us! When we're done selling this shit off we can retire to a life of luxury!" he said, putting a friendly arm around Dave. Picture it, a massive house in Gianos, wine whenever we want and a hot babe under each arm, willing to do whatever we asked them to! How 'bout that, eh?!" he laughed, thrusting his hips. Dave remained stoic, just wanting to get away. Aaron approached the couple with the same wicked smile. "Now then…what do we do with you two?" he asked in a low, menacing tone. They both remained quiet, staring at the ground with beats of sweat glistening in the light of the torch. Aaron sighed and walked round to the old woman and knelt to her level. "I said…" he whispered in her ear before violently swinging his hand at the woman's face. The sound of the slap rang in the air.

**_"WHAT DO WE DO WITH YOU TWO?! HUH?!"_** he screamed in her face. The woman could barely make out his rough, dirty face between her tears. His face looked downright hellish in the torch's light. He got up and walked round to the man, grabbing his chin and forcing him to face him. He suddenly seemed terrifyingly calm. "Now then…I dunno about you…but maybe you old fucks aren't worth having around anymore. You'll be dead within a few years anyway, won't you? So maybe we'll save you the time waiting for the Grim Reaper and just...do it now, hm?" he asked. The old man said nothing, but inside his heart felt like it was going to explode out of both fear and seething rage. Dave sighed, growing tired of Aaron's threats.

"Aaron for crying out loud, we're not killers. You know that. What would the point be?" he spoke up. Aaron got up and drew his own knife, shrugging. His blade was much sharper and well-maintained than his partner's. Dave knew his mood could change on a dime, but he never saw him like this. Maybe the idea of the high-life went to his head.

"Yeah well…it's our last raid. Besides, these fuckers know our names. Think about that for a second. Think about how stupid it would be to let them live. If we go on to live a life of money, wine and prostitutes then think how much it would blow if people found out what we did…hm?" he asked. Dave was beginning to consider his point, but was still unwilling to slash the woman's throat.

_"It would be our greatest failure..."_

"...Actually, I'd say your greatest failure would be stealing from these two in the first place. That and the shouting obviously. That didn't help with stealth, did it? I mean, you just went 'Hey! Come and stop us!' with that one. _Smart move, you pair of dumbasses_" called a voice. Aaron and Dave whipped round to find a figure standing in the shadows, watching them with crossed arms. Whoever they were, strange armour covered their body, but both men could make out her womanly curves. The two bandits forced their hostages to turn round and held their knives close to their throats. Their adversary stood silently, watching them without a sound.

"Hey look Aaron, it's one of your hot babes" said Dave in sarcastic tone. Aaron hushed him, trying to make out the figure's identity.

"Don't come any closer lady or you're next!" he cried, voice cracking. He couldn't hide his fear of the unknown. The two heard a faint laugh as the woman ignored their threats and began to slowly walk towards them. She walked with grace yet every step she took sounded heavy. As she came into the torch's light, Aaron and Dave stared in wonder and terror.

The woman wore a large metal breastplate adorned with a distinct design on her chest, covering her stomach though exposing some of her cleavage. The breastplate hugged her figure though it left few open gaps exposing her smooth skin. Metal plates covered and protected her body, making her seem almost like a knight. One arm was armoured with the other wrapped in leather belts. Her face was young with large blue eyes and short blonde hair with two pig-tails dangling at the sides of her face. Aaron and Dave could make out the small, coy smirk she wore with her direct stare. For all the armour she wore, they could still make out her figure and while normally this would distract them, there was something about this woman that made them feel uneasy. There was something about her eyes. They were sharper than the average person - more direct and 'staring'.

"I can't do that I'm afraid" she replied. Her voice was soft but stern, one that commanded authority. "You see, I promised myself that when I eventually got away from home, I would become strong and do what I wanted. I vowed to bring justice to wherever I saw fit. Letting you both escape?" she asked stopping a few feet away from them. "That would violate that rule"

The couple looked in wonder at the young woman and saw her as a beacon of hope. The two bandits however saw her as a source of income. Dave elbowed Aaron to get his attention, never taking his eye off the woman.

"Aaron, do you know who that is?" he asked, excited. "That's the missing Vance girl! You know, the one with the massive reward for her return?! The countess?! That's her!" Aaron's eyes went wide as if the woman turned into a massive pile of gold coins. He cleared his throat.

"Miss _Leina Vance_, I presume?" he asked in the most formal voice he could muster. Leina's smile disappeared, hating to hear her second name. I reminded her of her real responsibilities.

"So you do know who I am" she muttered, tapping the hilt of her sword.

"Everyone knows who you are" Dave said in a tired tone. Leina tilted her head and raised a brow, noticing a smug smile had formed on Aaron's face.

"Alright then, let's make a deal" he said with a slimy grin. Leina remained quiet and allowed him to speak. "If we let these two live, you have to come with us so we can take you back to Castle Vance. I'm sure your two sisters are dying to see you again and it would save the good old Count lots of time and resources trying to find you" he asked. "So, what do you say? Hm?"

Leina said nothing and gave them a hateful glare. Dave shivered in his skin under her gaze. Her sharp and direct eyes struck fear into his heart. Looking into her eyes, he could have sworn he saw something in them, like their colour changed. Aaron on the other hand waited for her reply. After a few agonising seconds of silence, the elderly couple heard the words they were hoping to hear.

"Fine then, I accept your offer. Now cut their binds and send them over to me. I'll come to you when I know they are safe" she ordered. Aaron happily obliged and sliced off the man's binding and shoved him over. Dave calmly cut off the woman's bindings and allowed her to walk over on her own. The couple looked to Leina for help, hoping that she wouldn't just give up. Her expression didn't change, maintaining her glare on the two men. Aaron smiled, looking over Leina's figure and staring at her cleavage.

"Alright Miss Vance, you have them now. So…you walk over here and get into the carriage. Of course, we'll show you a good time on the way" he laughed, elbowing Dave. His partner did not share his perverted enthusiasm. Leina casually began walking over to them, causing Aaron to chuckle. Bagging the voluptuous middle daughter of the Vance family was way more valuable - and more fun - than the sack of expensive stuff from the carriage. Leina's casual expression turned into a rather cruel grin.

"Show me a good time, huh? Ok…" she muttered. She moved her hand towards her sword and slowly pulled it out, savouring every second of the sound of it coming out of its holster showing off the beautiful sharp edge of the blade. Aaron's smile faded and his grip on his knife tightened. Leina's grin grew into a smile as she held her sword.

"Let's dance!" she roared, suddenly charging toward them sword at the ready. Dave barely got the opportunity to feebly raise his knife before Leina rammed into him, cutting across his gut. The fat man tumbled to the ground, clutching his stomach in agony as blood spilling in the air. Aaron was more ready and raised his blade above his head.

"C'mere!" he yelled, bringing his knife down. The two locked blades with sparks spitting out of the lock but Aaron's strength was not enough to withstand her sword. She shoved him back, disarming him and swung her sword round, cutting across his chest, dampening his dirty shirt with his own blood. Aaron screamed in pain and fell to the ground, clutching his chest. Leina smiled at her easy victory and looked at her sword, annoyed at the blood stains. She put it away, pleased with herself. The couple stood amazed, watching her utterly take down the two men that mere moments ago had them begging for their lives with such speed. She made it look like such a simple task. However as Leina holstered her sword, she heard the unmistakable sound of approaching footsteps behind her. She turned round in time to see Dave with his knife raised above his head, ready to bring it down. Still smiling, Leina gracefully dodged the blow and swung a heavy, steel-clad fist at his face.

Time slowed as her fist collided with his jaw. The combined power of her punch and the metal gauntlet was more than enough to send several teeth flying out his mouth with streaks of blood behind them. The distinct sound of bones shattering came with them as his jaw cracked and dislocated under pressure. The punch was strong enough to utterly sweep him off his feet and he smacked hard into the ground, unconscious with blood dripping out of his mouth.

Leina stood over him, panting heavily with her fist still tightly clenched. It pulsed with pain, burning from within. She thought she'd broken a finger but if that was the case she'd have to fix it when there was nobody watching. She had to smile at the thought. A broken finger would be a major problem for most humans. Not for her thought.

She turned to find Aaron lying on the ground, clutching his sword wound, staining his hands and clothes. The old couple went to clap but before they could, a shadow loomed over them. A mysterious woman suddenly appeared beside them. The woman was young, slender and imposing with long black hair and stern lavender eyes. Her red and white kimono brushed against the dirt, as did her long sword. She began to make her way towards Leina and Aaron as silently as she could.

Leina picked Aaron off the ground by his collar - earning a cry of pain - and allowed him to stand on his own. She sighed deeply "You'll live today, it's just a flesh wound" she said, admiring her handiwork. Aaron stared at her with pissed-off eyes but he couldn't match her own glare – a glare of both undying compassion and limitless hatred at the same time.

"You crazy bit-" but before he could finish his curse, Leina had him at her mercy with her sword pointing precariously at his throat. He was one word off of experiencing the Wandering Warrior's wrath. She was already seething on the inside.

"I think it'd be best if you shut your mouth and _**NEVER**_call me that word. Now then, I hope you remember this day because as you lie in jail, feeling your days waste away I want you to think about this moment and every time you do, I want you to feel that cut across your chest" she whispered with a cold, commanding tone. Aaron scoffed at her words and spat on her metal boots. Leina reacted with disgust, resisting the urge to break his jaw like Dave's.

"Who do you think you are? Judge, jury and executioner? Fuck off, you hussy" he hissed. Leina closed her eyes and took a deep breath, suppressing her rage.

"No. That's not who I am. I'm just the judge and the jury" she replied quietly. Aaron raised a brow.

"Oh yeah? Too scared to kill? Then who is the executioner?" he asked. He heard footsteps approach from behind and a hand reached round and clasped over his mouth. Any attempts to scream failed.

"She's right here" hissed another female voice. Aaron tried to find words to speak but before he could talk, he was stopped by a molten-lava hot pain in his stomach. He felt a stab his back and watched his own blood splatter in front of him. He saw Leina's face turn to shock and as he looked down, he saw a bloody blade sticking out of his stomach, his own life-force dripping off the edge. The pain began to fade, as did his vision. The scared expression of the woman in front of him faded into darkness and the sounds of the old couple yelping in shock seemed so, so far away. Eventually he could feel the blade slip back out of his body and the hand over his mouth let go. Before he knew it, he was falling to the ground, just as his eyes closed. The world went black

"Tomoe! What the hell?!" screamed Leina, angrily. The young priestess shook her blade of excess blood and holstered it as if it was just business. She stood over Aaron's corpse feeling nothing for him.

"Ridding the world of another foul stain" she replied back, coldly. Leina looked into Tomoe's eye and shook her head, disappointed more than angered. She sighed and approached the couple. Tomoe didn't turn round and instead looked towards Dave's body. She deemed him less cruel than Aaron and believed he had some semblance of humanity. She decided to spare his life and turned to join Leina.

"Here are your things back. When you arrive at Skye, tell the sheriff that Black Mountain Devils have been…dealt with" she muttered looking at the bodies. Tomoe approached them, causing them to become visibly frightened. Blood still stained her clothes.

"We apologize for any harm they may have brought on you and for any trauma you have experienced. We could have interfered much sooner, but know we had see for sure that these were the men we were after" informed Tomoe. Leina crossed her arms and glared at her from the corner of her eye. She had no words to share with her.

"Thank you, the both of you. May I ask, are you both part of the Queen's Blade tournament?" asked the old woman. Leina and Tomoe exchanged looks, allowing the latter to pick up on the former's fury. The gaze lasted longer than required and soon the couple felt the tension reach a peak.

"Yes, to an extent" muttered Tomoe.

"Well, we wish you both the best of luck" she replied, still shaking from the experience. The couple hurried over to their carriage and collected their belongings. "If you don't mind, we must be off but before we go, who are you both? I know who you are, Leina Vance, and I'll pretend I didn't see you if asked but who is your lady friend?" she asked. Leina looked at her partner with a thoughtful stare. In her mind, every one of their moments together played together at once.

"My name is Lady Tomoe – The Warrior Priestess. I hail from Hinomoto. Me and Leina here are both companions on our journey to Gianos" she replied, introducing herself with a smile. Her cheerful and pleasant attitude struck the couple as unnerving, considering she just killed a man. Leina didn't smile though, inside she was still fuming.

"Well, Leina? Tomoe? We bid you farewell. Good luck on your journey. Here!" said the old man, tossing a small sack of money to them. "There are around two-hundred gold coins in there! Spend them wisely! Those stupid bastards didn't search my inside pockets! Haha!" he called, spurring their horses on. Tomoe picked up the sack and pocketed it inside her dress.

"Thank you!" she called, waving them off. As they disappeared into the darkness, Tomoe felt Leina's heated stare on her back and sighed. Over time she had become more than aware of Leina's anger inside. "I know you're upset with me, Leina" she said quietly. She turned to face her, remaining calm and came face to face with her deathly stare.

"You didn't have to kill him, Tomoe and you know it" she responded with a deep growl.

"That man would have murdered that couple. I couldn't let such a cruel person walk this world.

"I stopped him. He learned his lesson!" she snarled. Tomoe slowly shook her head.

"No, he didn't. He would have been sent to jail, you're right but we know his cruelty existed. We knew what was inside his head. He learned no lesson from your defeat of him. Remember that for the future, Leina" she replied. Leina snarled and pointed at her with her bloodied hand.

"Don't you dare think I'm some sort of child, Lady Tomoe-!"

"Leina, your eyes" she said quickly. Leina stopped dead with wide eyes, knowing what Tomoe was looking at. Her eyes swirled to their hellish-red state – she could feel it. Leina closed them and sighed, expelling her anger and felt them swirl. When she opened them up again, they were blue once again.

"Damn it" she muttered under her breath and looked into Tomoe's eyes and saw her kind nature and brutal sense of justice stare back. They looked at each other for what felt like several minutes before Leina looked away, walking to the edge of the mountain road, overlooking the large town of Skye below with lights dotted around the houses. Far off into the distance was the clear image of Gianos sitting on the horizon. Tomoe joined her in looking out under the watch of the moon.

"Tell me, Leina. Do you ever wonder if we met sooner than we maybe should have?" she asked.

"All the time" she replied. Tomoe looked at her, offended. Leina sensed the look and sighed, looking back at her. "Not in a bad way, Tomoe. But yes, I do wonder"

"Perhaps it was fate that brought us together" she replied softly, looking back out to the distance. Leina still looked at her, gazing upon her soft expression and glinting eyes. She looked beautiful in the moonlight, she couldn't deny. Leina cleared her throat and looked back to the horizon.

"Maybe you're right"


	2. 1: Leina's Story - Runaway Girl

**"One week before the Black Mountain Incident"**

A cool breeze swept over the tall green trees, leaves rustling quietly together as part of summer's natural symphony. Forest creatures ran along the branches, doing whatever nature required them to do. Hunt, explore, whatever they wanted. In the bright colourful forest, there was an open pathway left untouched by humanity's travels. The thick green grass waved slowly in the cool wind, undisturbed by everything around it. The sky was blue with small white clouds dotted randomly to add to the beautiful picture nature painted.

However this peace would not last. The animals of the forest ran for cover as a young woman stormed down the path, panting furiously and tirelessly. Her feet showed no mercy to her natural surroundings, crushing whatever dared get in her way. She had no feelings toward keeping everything looking as good as it did when she run down the path, but she couldn't get enough of what she saw in front of her.

Leina Vance – The middle daughter to Count Vance and future Countess to the Vance family name – ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She happily ditched her uncomfortable formal wear for the most basic clothing she could find and a large green cloak covering her head. Wherever she may end up, she didn't want people to find her. The small dagger at her side was her only means of defence in case of danger. With only a small sack of gold at her disposal, she would try her absolute best to escape her miserable boring life at Castle Vance and already she saw an improvement. Everything there was so bland and dull and by God, there wasn't a natural smell. Everything was incense stick this, an exotic candle from Orion that. Now she could enjoy a breath of full, fresh air that wasn't stuck around her balcony. The world outside her castle was so colourful! No wonder she wanted to escape.

But it was more than that. Leina desperately wanted to live up to her mother's legacy. Marie Vance was one of the greatest warriors of the past generation. From a young age, she wanted become like her and after her unfortunate death that wish became so much greater. Unfortunately instead of sword fighting lessons, Leina learned the basics of etiquette. The word 'boring' didn't begin to describe it. But finally, she got what she so desperately wanted. If she could make it to the mountain pass just beyond the city of Adstir, she was outta there for good.

Provided they don't put a bounty on her.

With the sun shining down on her peach skin, she grinned as the mountains came into view. Every single step was a step towards freedom yet she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her every move. After her earlier escape attempts, that feeling of eyes on her back had made itself very familiar but it was different this time. It seemed…close. Leina stopped running, digging her feet into the ground. She looked around, grabbing her dagger.

The sounds around her faded, leaving her in the company of her own heavy breathing and scared thoughts. Her long blonde hair whipped round wildly, trying to find something – anything – that would give her a hint to where the pair of eyes on her back was coming from.

"**Wandering Warrior…"**

"Hello!? Who's there?!" she cried, fear in her voice. She definitely heard a voice, like a whisper in her ear. It was as clear as day, though the name was completely lost on her. Wandering Warrior? Who is that? Leina stood still now, watching everything that moved like a hawk. She could still feel the voice in her head, not talking but simply dancing around her mind.

"**Look up, Leina…"**

She froze, hearing the voice again. Now she was certain it was talking to her – thought the name 'Wandering Warrior' was still a stranger to her mind. Following her mysterious instructions she did indeed look to the sky hoping to find some answers to her confusion. The sun cast its magnificent ray of light into the corner of her eye as she looked to the deep blue sky. However the light she was staring into wasn't the sun; it was something out of place, something different. It was like looking at candlelight. She felt the 'light' stare back at her and as it glistened in her deep blue eyes it appeared to cast something down at her.

She dropped her dagger, frozen by the fiery ball in the sky like a spotlight shone down on her. She tried to scream but her voice stopped working entirely. As she could muster were a few gasps of horror as a golden haze covered her eyes. She felt her hands burn like fire but it wasn't painful. Instead it felt like a hot, powerful wave surrounding her hands and shooting up her fingers. They writhed as golden streaks of energy danced around them. Her eyes glowed intensely like two shining stars, lighting up the surrounding area in a sea of golden light. Animals either took cover for dear life or watched with morbid curiosity.

Eventually the light in her eyes began to fade, as did the glowing around her head and hands. Leina still couldn't scream, or move for that matter. She lost control over her limbs and had to feel as her legs helplessly gave way under her weight. With ringing in her ears, Leina slumped to the ground with her head resting on the grass. She couldn't move her eyes but as she began to lose consciousness, she swore she saw something slip off one of the many trees in the area. Something glowing with a pink hue. The bright world around her started to turn dark and gloomy as her eyes slowly shut on their own. She had been defeated by an invisible enemy and her chest burned on the inside. In her last moments before drifting off to sleep, she heard horses behind her with the unmistakable voices of the castle guards.

"_We got her!"_

"_Is she ok? Check her pulse"_

"…_A steady heartbeat. She's out cold…"_

"_Well let's….back to the cast-…General Clau-…will want a word with…"_

* * *

Those same fingers that burned with power mere seconds ago felt stiff and sore, writhing and twisting around some strange sensation. It was soft and undeniably comforting. As she moved her legs and arms, Leina felt that same sensation envelop her. Her head felt heavy and her ears were deaf. She took a deep breath, hoping to still smell the fresh air of the world beyond the castle walls. To her horror, she got the unmistakable smell of cinnamon sticks, her favourite. It didn't take her long to work out she was in fact in a soft bed – her own bed – with the fabric of the covers being the strange sensation. Leina opened her eyes to a blurry, blobby haze of blue, gold and white. The shape moved quickly towards her, footsteps entering her ears. Before Leina could work out what or who it was on her own the 'shape' focused into the unmistakable outfit of her younger sister, Elina Vance – The Captain of the Guard. Her sister smiled like an excited feline as she ran towards her, arms spread out for a hug.

"Leina!" she chirped excitedly. Before Leina could raise any protest, Elina leapt on her, pushing her into the covers and wrapped her arms around her, squeezing tightly against her. In her state, Leina could feel her breakfast still sitting in her stomach start to think about relocating up her throat. She was in no condition for hugs but tell that to Elina, who squeezed her chest against her own – one of Elina's 'quirks'. Leina couldn't respond to her. As the realization cemented itself in her brain, she spoke a few quiet words.

"Oh God…I'm back here" she muttered under her breath, accidentally into Elina's ear. Her sister knelt over her body, beaming with her usual happiness. There was never a moment where Elina is happier except in the company of her middle sister – a fact Leina knew _all too well_. She purred happily as Leina's body awoke from its forced slumber. Memories of what happened were blurry. The last thing she could remember was stopping in the middle of the large forest. After that, there was nothing.

"Yep! You didn't think you'd get far, now did you?" purred Elina, nuzzling her cheek against Leina's like an affectionate kitten. With the claws and cat-ear headband, the comparison was just. Leina rolled her eyes and gently petted Elina on the head. She liked her sister but the affection she had for her was a little _too_ loving.

"Hello Elina…agh, It's nice to see you and all but…" she spoke in a tired voice, pushing herself up off her bed. "…I'm not feeling so…so…" her voice trailed off as she noticed a very peculiar feeling in her arms. Leina stared right through her sister as she thought about the sensation. She brought up one of her hands and examined it closely. There was nothing strange about it, but rather it felt strange.

Considering she just woke up, her hands and arms were bursting with energy, different from the groggy, tired feeling she felt as she woke. She felt…excellent, better than ever, in the best of conditions. The feeling of tiredness and exhaustion was swept away, leaving total alertness in its wake. Something was wrong. Elina suddenly grabbed her hand and examined it herself.

"What's wrong, Leina? Are you hurt?" she asked. Leina yanked her hand away.

"No, I'm fine!"

"You just said you weren't feeling well" replied Elina. Leina looked down at her body, finding her clothes replaced with a simple gown. So they dressed her too? How long was she out?

"I know I did" muttered Leina, "But I'm fine" Elina again leapt onto her sister, giggling happily as she pulled her into another tight hug. Maybe mentioning she was feeling better was a bad idea in hindsight.

"Aw, well I'm just glad I have my sister back!" she murmured in her sister's ear. Her tone took a disturbingly seductive tone. To add to this, Leina was more than a little aware of Elina hand gliding over her left breast in an attempt to "cop a feel". Leina faked a laugh and casually swept the hand aside, trying to change the subject.

"Ok, Elina that's enough. Now, where is Claudette?"

* * *

Before long, Leina found herself properly dressed (managing to shake off Elina) and in the presence of her elder sister. She stood alone in a massive bare room, a large crystal chandelier hanging over her head, shadowing her. General Claudette – The Thundercloud General stood with her back to her, looking out to the ocean that surrounded the castle. The Castle stood alone on the water with only a bridge connecting them to the ground. The window stretched from the roof to the ground, allowing an admittedly beautiful view of the sea. However the sea wasn't what was important to Leina. In the window's reflection she could see Claudette's expression – a face she came to call her 'I don't have time for your crap' face. Her long red hair and green eyes made her the odd one out compared with Leina and Elina, but her genetics were a subject she hated to discuss and Leina was wary of Claudette's wrath on a bad day.

Today was one of those days, she could tell. The room was eerily quiet and utterly void of any smell with an air of refinement about them. Claudette stared at Leina like a mother to her disobedient child and shook her head. Her silent disapproval was aggravating.

"Leina, what were you thinking? Honestly now" she asked, turning towards her. Leina maintained a glare, but it was nothing compared to the gaze Claudette presented. Vance women all seemed to inherit the undeniable ability to dish out effective death glares when angered. Elina used hers to keep her army under her command. Claudette used them on Leina. Leina used them on nobody and she didn't dare try one out on Claudette.

"I don't know. Freedom was quite high up on my list of priorities at that moment. You tell me" she deadpanned, though she quickly regretted snarking at her elder sister. Claudette demanded authority, even from her own siblings. It was like this since they were young. Claudette stared her down, raising her head at her. She had no tells on her expression other than irritation.

"Leina, for the last time, you have duty to uphold her at Castle Vance. You are the next noble to become Countess. You can't just abandon your responsibilities" she responded in a low, commanding tone. She had heard it all before and it got more unbearable with every single lecture. Leina knew she was next – a reminder was unwelcome – and those who asked Claudette why she wasn't the future Countess asked for her wrath. Leina rolled her eyes and sighed.

"And for the last time, I don't WANT these responsibilities. Let Elina be Countess. I want become like our mother"

"I know, but you must remember that…" Claudette's words became white noise to Leina's ears. Her mouth moved but she didn't hear a single thing she said. It was her own sneaky defence mechanism to 'shield' her from her lectures. Leina still pretended to pay attention but she was away on another world on the inside. However that other world was but a recent memory. She thought back to her escape attempt, savouring the freedom she felt. But there was a little niggle at the back of her mind - A finger poking at her brain. Leina's eyes were naturally drawn to her hand again, looking at it carefully. Anyone else would think she was just mad, or that she'd never seen a hand before. But she felt different. She felt she could do more with her strength – what little she had – and run faster, jump higher. She felt…empowered. A thought occurred, that golden glow she felt surround her face when she passed out. What was that exactly? And what was the light in the sky-

***SMACK!***

"_Pay attention Leina Vance!"_ roared Claudette, slapping her own sister across the cheek. Leina let a yelp escape her mouth and grabbed her cheek. It was hot and red to the touch.

"Ow, what the hell?!" she cried out in agony, "What was that for-" Leina stopped suddenly, caught off guard by a strange sensation on her cheek, or lack of one. As quickly as the pain from the slap set in, it left again leaving her feel like nothing happened. She couldn't see it, but her cheek was now back its normal colour. Even Claudette was rather caught off guard when the red mark on her cheek faded from view.

"Listen to me when I speak! Do not run off again! You cannot abandon your future post! Just think of the people you could have met. Bandits! Monsters! I know you can't defend yourself so leaving is practically an elaborate form of suicide!" she ranted, going back to the window. Claudette maintained eye-contact in the window's reflection.

"I can become stronger, you know I can"

"Just get out of my sight, Leina, and don't forget to get ready" she replied. Leina crossed her arms and scoffed.

"Oh right, we have a ball tonight, don't we? Yeah, there was a reason I chose today to leave…" she snarked. Leina growled and turned to leave the room, "I freaking hate balls" she muttered under her breath. Leina left the room leaving Claudette alone with her thoughts. Was she a good sister? She asked herself this at least once a week. Slapping Leina edged her towards 'no' but it was for her own good,

"The world is toxic, Leina. I don't want you exposed to the raw dangers of this continent and beyond" she said to herself, watching a small boat appear over the horizon. The sister country of Hinomoto was across the water.

Leina stomped her way through the corridors back to her room, passing by several guards on their daily duties. They all observed her noble yet pissed expression but didn't dare ask her what was the matter. An angry Elina or Claudette made them learn not to question the anger of a Lady Vance. Leina made her way into her room and looked upon its contents. Her large bed sat all freshly made up and portraits of her family lay decorated around the room. Leina went to take a step towards her bed before stopping.

To her horror and discomfort, she could feel something climb up her throat. She fell to the floor, coughing and spluttering. She felt like she was going to vomit, but instead of resist she felt the need to open her mouth. When she did, something unexpected happened.

A single golden strand of some kind of energy flew out of her mouth. The sound of her breath echoed into the room. Leina stared in shocked horror at this mysterious strand, watching it for a few seconds before it disappeared. She was deathly silent aside from her own terrified breaths.

"_What is __**wrong**__ with me?"_


	3. 2: Tomoe's Story: Visions

"**Around that time, across the waters"**

Hinomoto stood rather isolated as a country, cut off from the Queen's power in the mainland. Instead, they had their own ruler with no contest to decide who was next in line. At times this was more trouble than it's worth, but Hinomoto had an amazing way of hiding its problems. Everyone – native or not – agreed that Hinomoto was one of the most beautiful places on Earth, becoming the holiday destination for the richer members of the public.

Massive, snow-blanketed mountains stood tall and mighty, scraping the clouds hovering over the towns and cities of Hinomoto. Lush-green forests decorated the mountains, rich with wildlife. Calm lakes cut across the landscape and wide open grassy plains covered the ground. But these forests hid crucial settlements from one and other. One of these settlements, hidden from view, was the home of the Hinomotian Warrior Priestesses – a clan of women dedicated to living a life of peace and tranquility while simultaneously becoming extremely skilled swords-women. Donning long red and white kimonos, the warrior priestesses were a mostly peaceful clan of warriors, often considered the best around, even among the more western warriors across the waters. Their settlement was hidden among the many large forests Hinomoto had to offer and there wasn't a single person alive who wouldn't say that their settlement was one of the most beautiful and majestic places on the country.

Large cherry blossom trees stood tall along the pathways the priestesses walked during their day-to-day activities. The stone pathways had to be cleaned virtually every day and the water spurting from the large stone fountains was clear and blue as the sky above them. The buildings were timeless, neat and fitting to their surroundings and remained part of Hinomoto's history. The priestesses were either meditating, walking with their fellow warriors or practicing their weapon techniques. Along one path, underneath a red archway sat one lone woman admiring the world around her while thinking to herself.

Lady Tomoe was _**thee**_ Warrior Priestess, the best of the best. It was her title after all. From a young age, Tomoe learned how to handle a sword better than most of the other girls she knew. Her favorite blade sat comfortably on her back, harmlessly shining in the warm afternoon sunlight. Tomoe was a quiet, gentle women who vowed to treat everyone with as much kindness as they deserved, yet if pushed she would make whoever may have wronged her pay dearly with their lives without hesitation. She was both Hinomoto's kindest and deadliest warrior. She sighed peacefully to herself, thinking about her newest goal.

Hinomoto may look like a wonderful place to live to the unknowing eye, but on the inside it was just as corrupt as any other political body. While they had an Empress to rule Hinomoto, she was really just a face for the people to recognise and everyone – except her - knew it. Her 'advisers' just made every choice for their own gain, leaving many in poverty while the rich prospered. All of that could change and Tomoe would be the force for that change. Hinomoto remained outside of the continent's affairs and the Queen's Blade tournament was not their problem. For the longest time Hinomoto saw the Queen's Blade tournament as a barbaric game designed for the Queen's amusement. However the Head Priestess had decided that to remove this corruption, they needed a Hinomoto native on the throne and for that, they needed the best of their own to win.

"_This is a massive opportunity. A chance to venture to the continent to fight western fighters. Hinomoto's stability rests on my shoulders and I won't let a single person get in my way. And yet, I must show my humanity and make allies. If I remain a stranger, then I won't learn a thing. I would go in blind and be a fool's challenge. I will become Hinomoto's only hope and its greatest burden"_

"Ah, staring out into space again? Nobody can say you can't focus on things, Lady Tomoe"

Tomoe had been quickly back into reality, alerted to the presence of a recent ally. Shizuka was not like the rest of the women at the settlement, primarily because she wasn't a warrior priestess. That life was 'too boring' in her eyes. Because of her lifestyle, she didn't dress in a typical kimono like everyone else. Instead she wore the colours and the clothes of their enemy. Shizuka was a runaway member of the Kouma Ninjas, the mortal opposite of the Warrior Priestesses. They were vicious, bloodthirsty and sadistic who dabbled carelessly with dark, forbidden arts. Such a life became too much for Shizuka to bear, and so she defected. However she wasn't considered 'trustworthy' to the rest of the priestesses. Every single one-eyed her as she walked past. The only one who had their trust her was Tomoe, though even then there were some issues. For one, she disagreed with her choice of clothes. However, she was glad to see her.

"Oh, good afternoon Shizuka. How may I help you?" she asked. Tomoe spoke with a timid, kind voice.

"Nothing much, just checking on you. You looked like you were on another world or something" she replied, scratching the back of head while still feeling the glares of the other women. She had to resist the temptation to glare back at them but if anything she'd get into trouble for being 'immature'. "Hey, I heard you got asked to be in the Queen's Blade. That right?"

"Yes, that's correct. I had been asked to participate his morning. The Head Priestesses said she saw me in a vision, waging a fierce battle against another warrior. She called it a sign. I will say that it's an honor, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. There is a lot of weight on my shoulders. Hinomoto depends on me-" As Tomoe mulled over her objective, Shizuka sighed and rolled her eyes. Tomoe was far too serious for her sometimes. She interrupted her monologue with a light, playful punch to the shoulder and a small smirk. Tomoe lowered her eye-lids and gave her a tired glare.

"Don't be so modest! You'll knock 'em dead!" she replied happily. Though she was pleased with her support, Tomoe had a small problem.

"Speaking of modesty, what have I told you about your outfit?" she asked. Since Shizuka refused to wear a kimono, she instead wore her old Kouma clothes with consisted of a black top with a large cut down the middle exposing her stomach and her cleavage. Small horns sat sticking out of her white hair, unlike Tomoe who wore a small red headband across her forehead.

"Old habits, you know what its like" she replied. Tomoe shook her head with displeasure.

"No I don't"

"...Ok, you've got a point. You don't" muttered Shizuka, looking off the large group of buildings nearby. "Well I have to dash, your Head Mistress has me doing chores around the place - cleaning up and what have you. It's like she's got a problem with me or something" she muttered, utterly deadpan. Tomoe managed to smile at her remark and got to her feet.

"Very well. I'll see you later then. And it's 'Priestess' by the way, not 'Mistress'" she replied. Shizuka walked off, waving good bye.

"Hey, with the jobs she gives me, she might as well be my mistress" she joked.

Tomoe let out a small and she simply walked away, eyeing up a cliff edge overlooking both the settlement and the massive stone temple shadowing the rest of the small town. That very temple housed the Head Priestesses and the rest of Hinomoto's best. Fitting that the strongest warriors should be in the strongest building. That temple could withstand almost anything thrown at it from the outside.

* * *

The waterfall beside her created the perfect melody for her meditation. Tomoe sat on the hard stone ground with crossed legs and clasped hands, breathing in the scent of the small herbal candle she sat next to her. The smell eased her into a deeper state of relaxation where should practice her hidden technique. Tomoe took a deep breath and let it out slowly and as she did, time slowed to a crawl. She sensed every last thing around her at lightning speeds without even having to look at them. She could hear a bee buzzing around a small group of flowers behind her, hearing every single flutter of its wings which sounded like a hawk flapping it's wings. She could sense a fellow priestess walking below the cliff-face, feeling her shallow breath on the air.

If someone was to walk down the path that connected the cliff-edge to the waterfall, she would hear them easily. With this, she could focus on everything and anything she had to. In battle, it allowed her to analyse her opponent's movement at lightning speeds. It wasn't entirely reliable but it worked. This was why she was the best Hinomoto had to offer.

Meditation had another profound effect on her. Even with her eyes closed, she saw many wonderful things. Whatever she thought about, it came to her perfectly without any deviation. She decided to think about her sword – its long steel blade with its perfectly designed red and gold hilt designed for her hands only with the words 'Kushinawa' ascribed on the blade in ancient Hinomotian letters. However the image of her sword slowly faded into white without command. Still with her eyes closed, Tomoe raised a single brow.

_"**Hello Tomoe"**_

She tried to open her eyes and jump to attention, but she couldn't. Her own trance had restrained her, unable to move a muscle. The voice was soft, quiet and not one she had heard before. Only her subconscious was listening. In a sense, she was trapped inside her own mind. An image appeared before her. A figure of a woman – strong and slender – with fire bursting from her arms and her head, lighting up her vision in sea of warm golden light. The flames whipped round and before her eyes became living leather belts swimming in the light. The sight of these flames made Tomoe feel her hands and head turn hot but in her state, she ignored the feeling. She had no choice but to do so.

The image turned to dust before the white background darkened around her into a hellish red light. She could make out a silhouette – herself – standing alone facing off an unknown adversary wielding a sword. Around them buildings burned, explosions rocked the ground and music played behind them. Loud, violent music with lyrics she couldn't make out.

_"**Violence breeds violence, Tomoe. Remember that."**_

The voice spoke again, changing the vision to that of the settlement she resided, burning in flames. She could hear the screams of women, shouting for help or for their lives. The temple now stood in total ruin, buildings were burning down in vivid detail and a shadow loomed over them. Two eyes appeared in the shadow – one pink and one gold and as they grew more and more intense, she heard the voice again just as she went blind.

_"**The temple is a place of worship and safety, but it can also be a place of death. Maybe you can prevent one outcome and make sure another. Be ready, Lady Tomoe"**_

And with that, her body jerked violently as she came out of her trance. Tomoe panted heavily, looking around her environment looking for someone – anyone – she could talk to. Night had fallen and the moon shone bright over the settlement. Her candle had long since died out and now the priestesses were returning to their homes. Tomoe looked at her hand as it shook.

_"Was that a warning?"_


	4. 3: Intruder Alert

"Ah, such a splendid evening. I must say Miss Vance, events here never seem to disappoint"

"Thank you. I'm glad you are all enjoying yourselves!"

Castle Vance's ballroom glowed beautifully from the outside, an unmistakable golden light coming from the vast open space. The ballroom burst with noise of irrelevant conversation between many high-class nobles and lords all dressed in quality-made and expensive clothes. The smell of wine was rather thick in the air though not a single one would dare get drunk. To them it would be 'uncouth'.

"I must ask Lady Elina. Where is your sister, Lady Leina? I was under the impression she was going to be here" asked one of the nobles. Elina gave a small faked laugh and replied back in her usual 'higher-class' voice which everyone could tell was forced but nobody questioned it since most voices were 'forced'.

"She…is feeling a little ill just now. She's taken to rest in her bedroom"

* * *

Indeed, Leina had sprawled herself lazily over her bed as the 'party' continued on without her. She didn't believe her presence was desperately required anyway; Elina and Claudette could handle it without her. Nobody needed the next countess to be there for any special reason other than to look pretty and to have people say 'Oh! You must be so excited' to her endlessly as if becoming Countess was like becoming a mother. Her thick and stocky dress lay sprawled messily on the floor along with her corset and underwear – the corset especially was a nightmare to put on and take off. Thankfully she found some snug nightwear to put on instead though the comfort failed to dull her concerns. Leina continued to stare at the roof of her room and sighed heavily.

"If I can do anything, its fake a cold. Huh, glad I can at least do _something_. Sometimes I'm glad Elina is the way she is. If that young duke took one more wayward glance at my chest, I was going to punch him in the face myself…Never expected Elina to actually _do it_ but hey, that's Elina" she thought to herself, amused by the image in her head. She brought up her hand and clenched it. The strange sensation she felt was still there and it wasn't leaving her either.

"Claudette seemed as emotionless and distant as always. Maybe she feels the same about our lifestyle. Being a noble is so boring. All I talk about with people outside my family are the economy, politics, the state of Gianos under Queen Aldra's reign and – _**Oh my God**__, I don't care about any of that crap! __**I want out of here!**_" Leina screamed internally, slamming her arms into the bed in angst-driven frustration. She couldn't even leave her room! There were two armed guards stationed there under Elina's orders – presumably to prevent escape.

All that Leina could think to do was go to sleep, imagining about the life she wanted as a great warrior. She envisioned herself defeating massive beasts, saving civilians from harm. She dreamed about meeting a fellow warrior, falling in love with them and being hailed as Leina – The Great Warrior!

…Or perhaps "The Wandering Warrior" would be a better title. "Leina – The Wandering Warrior" had a good ring to it. What happened to her during her escape and what implanted that name into her head was still a massive mystery.

Before she could think more about her escape and perhaps any future attempts, a soft noise at the window disturbed her well desired silence. Leina turned to the window to find a peculiar and frightening sight. A bright pink woman peered into her room with a small smile and faded blue eyes with cross-shaped pupils. Neither the bunny-ears nor the hand-shaped 'bra' was the weirdest thing however. The fact that she was outside a window without a balcony was the weirdest part. Standing there should be completely impossible. Leina said nothing and just stared back with her heart nestled comfortably in her throat, beating furiously out of fear of the unknown.

"Hello, Vance" whispered the strange woman. Leina watched as the woman's head 'melted' into a moving, constantly warping pink puddle. The puddle sloshed out of view. Just when Leina began to think she was seeing things, the puddle pushed its way through the tiny gaps in the window and slumped into a gross pile of slime on the ground. When she was completely through, it 'reformed' into her full body form, the form of young and well-endowed woman with large pink ears and a strange transparent 'dress'. The odd woman had a pink hue all across her body which made Leina feel uneasy.

"Who…or rather, what are you?" asked Leina quietly. The pink woman smirked at her.

* * *

"Good evening To-"

Tomoe paid no attention to the many women she passed by as she ran down the temple's long winding corridors to find the source of the 'danger' she had been alerted to during her meditation. As she sprinted – paying no heed to the obviously confused women around her - she focussed her mind on her surroundings like she did during her meditation. Doing so while running at full speed in a building was not her greatest idea but she had to do _something_.

"Ok…Now, **Focus!**"

Time slowed down to a snail's pace – as did Tomoe – and everything became clear to her. The sounds of her feet hitting the ground, the soft breaths of nearby women and their whispered conversations:

…"_What is she doing?"…_

…"_Doesn't she know there is no running in the sacred temple?"…_

…"_Isn't she to be in the Queen's Blade?"…_

All of these noises were nothing to her. What was interesting however was the very faint yet unmistakable sound of fizzing coming from the corner of her ear. Tomoe gasped and stopped dead, focussing every part of her brain on the fizzing. Words and images ran through her mind as she pieced it all together and just like that, her head turned towards the wine cellar. Tomoe cautiously made her way forward, edging her hand towards her blade.

The cellar was dusty, dark and smelled of spilt wine and burnt cinders – a disgusting combination. Tomoe looked down the old wooden stairs to spot one lone shadow, shuffling around the barrels of wine. She slowly crept down the stairs trying with every effort to avoid creaking. As she made her way down, the shadow became the unmistakable image of a man with a large hood covering his head. Surrounding him were multiple large black bombs – some already lit – and he was trying to light one in his hand with a single, tiny match.

"Kouma!"

Stealth became the least of Tomoe's concerns once she realised who he was and what he was planning to do. Running down the stairs and drawing her sword, she dashed at the lone ninja at breath-taking speeds with fierce aggression. The ninja only got a second to turn round before being kicked violently to the ground, sending the unlit bomb flying into a stray corner. Tomoe covered his mouth and stabbed her sword straight through his back, reducing his screams to anguished groans and bloody gurgling. She dropped him to the floor, allowing him to die, but she didn't wait for him to pass as the bombs weren't going to wait for her. Holstering her sword she got to work quickly extinguishing the winks with her fingers. The stinging from the flames was bearable but nonetheless painful. Some were closer to exploding than others but she didn't take any chances and yanked the wicks out. By the time she got to the last bomb, the feeling in her fingers had long gone - all burned and blistered - but despite the pain she had to disarm every single bomb. As the last wick was yanked out, a thought occurred in Tomoe's head that she should have thought of the second she saw the Kouma Ninja.

"This is just the start, isn't it? I must alert the Head Priestess!" she said to herself. Tomoe ran as fast as she could up the stairs as the ninja below finally expired. She stopped at the top and turned towards the corpse. "The Kouma worship and use the darkness to their advantage. Fitting that it should be your undoing…" she sneered.

* * *

"What are you doing here, Melona?" asked Leina. Having learned her intruder's name, she sat on the edge of her bed, still staring at Melona with nervous curiosity. Her stare made Leina uncomfortable but at the same time, intrigued.

"I know what happened to you Leina, when you ran away" she replied in her light-playful voice. She stood up, eager for answers.

"You do? Tell me!" she asked desperately, taking a few steps closer. Melona cast her mind back to the event, staring at the ceiling as she envisioned the incident.

"You just stopped dead as you ran through the forest. Kinda looked like you were looking for someone and then you looked to the sky…" she replied half-heartedly. Leina looked up with confusion.

"…And?" she asked.

"Well you seemed to…glow. Your hands looked like they were on fire, all gold and stuff. And your eyes! My God, your eyes turned into small stars!" she exclaimed excitedly. There was something about her enthusiasm that Leina found off. Her movements and lines seemed practiced. "After that you were taken away…back to this hell hole" she finished. Leina stared at her hands again. So that's why they were so strange, but what did it all mean?

"Why did it happen?"

"You tell me. It just did, but I can help you out with it" she offered with a kind smile. Leina crossed her arms and raised a concerned brow. "If you come with me, I can take you to someone who can maybe help you out. I'm sure you're dying to get out of here and learn more about what happened to you…" Melona grinned and took a few steps towards Leina. She seemed very inviting. "So, what do you say? Wanna come with?" she asked.

"Hmm…" Leina looked back towards the door, reminding her of where her stance was in the castle. Melona was her only shot at getting out and into the wide open world. She was considering her offer…but stopped just short of saying 'yes'.

"_Her offer is generous. Her intentions are dangerous. Beware the Protean Assassin"_

The voice spoke to her again, like a whisper directly into her ear. Melona noticed Leina's expression sink as the voice spoke and her small, cute smile faded. She knew her trust disappeared in an instant.

"Are you called 'The Protean Assassin'?" Leina asked, taking a step back from Melona.

"How do you know that?" she asked, crossing her arms. At that moment, Leina realised that the voice was telling the truth. She wasn't willing to trust someone like her. She stood tall and cleared her throat.

"As kind as it is, I'm afraid I must decline your offer. I will find out what happened to me on my accord, but thanks anyway" she replied, holding her head high. However Leina did not get the reaction she was hoping for. Melona started giggling to herself with a wide grin and a piercing stare.

"Haha, Oh I'm sorry. Did you think I was asking you?" she hissed. Without warning, pink tentacles rose out her back and shot out towards Leina. She couldn't manage a scream before one tentacle wrapped around her neck and started choking her. More tentacles coiled tightly around her limbs like cobras and her chest to further restrict her breathing. Leina struggled to break free as she slowly felt the ground beneath her feet disappear, gasping for precious oxygen, kicking her legs feebly. Melona laughed as she tightened her tentacles grip on her, listening to Leina's strained screaming. "I'll drag you back to the Swamp Witch if I have to, alive or dead. We'll find a way of extracting whatever powers you gained from you" she said quietly. Leina's eyes turned heavy and her breathing turned shallow as a thick tentacle tightened around her chest, squeezing the air out of her.

However as Leina started to feel her limbs go limp, a new sense of power brewed suddenly within her body. Melona's narrow glare became wide Leina opened her eyes and sharpened her stare. A shockwave burst from Leina's body seemingly out of nowhere, knocking Melona and several paintings to the ground. Leina fell to the ground taking in one massive breath of air. Despite being almost choked to death, her strength returned extremely quickly. Not wasting a second and fearing for her life, she ran for the door as Melona was stunned by her random burst of power.

Leina bashed through the door and dashed past the guards, not caring for their pleas.

"Lady Leina! You must stay in your room!"

"Lady Leina! We have our orders"

"RUN YOU MORONS!" she screamed back at them. The guards remained quiet as they turned to look at each other and then into her room. They stared baffled at the random pink woman with clenched fists standing in the centre of the room.

"Oh, you are not getting away this easy!" she snarled as her eyes lit up. Suddenly, the room exploded in a sea of fire and smoke, completely destroying it, reducing the guards to black stains on the scorched ground and doing massive damage to the tower. The force of the blast knocked Leina head over heels hurtling towards the ground as the corridor in front of her disappeared in a red and yellow blur of flames. The floor splintered and snapped, sending Leina toppling into the cold outside air instead of the ruined corridor. Screaming, she fell down from the tower towards the glass ceiling of the lower parts of the castle, kicking and wailing her limbs in a desperate attempt to fly. Leina closed her eyes, waiting for impact.

A chunk of brick whirled past her face and smashed into the glass before she could reach it and instead of being cut apart, she slammed into the soft fabric of the ceiling curtains hung plentifully above what she hoped was the gallery. Her momentum pushed her into the fabric and caused the curtain to rip from the ceiling, sending her crashing into the ground along with the rest of the debris – albeit with a cushioned landing.

Leina lay on the ground, staring out of the hole in the ceiling as fire rained down around her. The sickly smell of ash filled her nostrils and the sounds of screaming men and women echoed around her along with the sound of broken glass. She didn't want to even think about the damage Melona had done by destroying the tower but that would have to wait. Wriggling her fingers and toes – making sure she wasn't dead – Leina struggled to push herself off the ground, wincing in pain. Whatever the energy that now burst through her veins was, it was helping her survive and recover her strength. She turned round in her dazed state and eyed up the main attraction of the gallery – her mother's battle armour. It was clunky, it looked too small and was old but it would have to do. Getting to her feet, Leina approached the glass display with a knowing and firm smile.

"_You come into my home. You try to have me killed and you destroy everything in your way for your own selfish desires…All right, Melona. I'll take this dance"_


	5. 4: Ashes to Ashes

**(A/N: For those interested, I have a poll up on my profile so I can have feedback on an upcoming Doctor Who/Mass Effect crossover. If that interests you, give it a look)**

* * *

"Head Priestess!"

Tomoe ran as fast as her legs could carry her outside into the warm summer night. Her calls disturbed her fellow priestesses meditating outside the temple walls but for once, she didn't care who she alerted. If anything alerting people was a kindness. The Head Priestess stood in front of the crowds, turning towards her in surprise. Any other priestess and she would scold them.

"Ah, Lady Tomoe. Good heavens, you look exhausted" she greeted her calmly. Tomoe skidded to a halt and wasted no time alerting her to what happened.

"Head Priestess, it's an emergency. The Kouma, they're here!" she cried, breathing heavily. Tomoe bent over, recovering her breath. The Head Priestesses cheery expression faded in an instant. Everyone knew not to take threats of attack without caution.

"What?!"

"I killed one, trying to-" she explained, taking in a deep breath, "-trying to destroy the temple using multiple explosives". Tomoe got up and faced her elder. The Head Priestesses frowned, looking towards the temple with a look of intent.

"Tomoe-"

"But that's only the beginning! They'll be-" Tomoe stopped talking and froze, looking over the Head Priestess' shoulder, distracted by a group of large stars arranged in a cluster high in the sky. "…more"

The stars – however – only got brighter and brighter with every second. It took Tomoe too long to realise that they weren't stars at all but bright, orange and fiery balls of destruction heading in their general direction. The Head Priestess turned and stared. As the balls of fire got closer, her eyes went wide with shock.

"_Flaming arrows…" _muttered the Head Priestess. Springing into action, she turned to the women behind her."Everyone! Take cover behind something stone!" The women all got and ran for the nearest source of cover as Tomoe and the Head Priestess watched the arrows fall and embed themselves cleanly into the wooden homes and training barracks of the settlement, immediately setting them alight. It didn't take long for panicked screams to erupt from around the settlement. The settlement lit up like a massive beacon as the destruction spread at an alarming rate. At the exact moment the building caught fire, men clad completely in black hopped out of the shadows and started attacking any priestess standing too close, catching them off their guard.

"Dear God, no!" screamed one woman behind her. Tomoe swallowed her fear and took out her still blood-stained sword. The Kouma had begun attacking. However no matter what, Tomoe refused to allow them to defeat them. She'd commit hara-kiri where she stood before she let that happen.

"To arms!" she screamed as the Kouma army ran at them with a yell. Tomoe adopted a fighting stance and gripped her sword as hard as she could.

"_Here we go…"_

* * *

"_**Oh Leeeeeeiinaaaaaaa…where aaaaare yyyoooouuu?**_"

Melona walked the ruined rooftop of Vance Castle, ignoring the destruction she had caused. Nobody except Leina even knew she was there, hidden from view by the flames around her. Below her, guards were escorting the high-class men and women to the safety of an underground bunker hidden deep within the castle in case of possible terrorist attacks. Claudette and Elina hurried them all away from the fires and otherwise heavily damaged sections of the castle. They didn't expect Melona or anyone for that matter to be the cause of the explosion. They instead believed that the castle had been hit with explosive shells by an unknown force but they weren't taking any chances.

Claudette stopped among the crowds and turned to her younger sister, holding her shoulders firmly.

"Elina, get everyone to safety! I'll get our father out of here!" she yelled above the commotion behind her. Her father was likely perfectly safe but she wasn't going to take any chances. It was her duty to ensure his protection.

"What about Leina?! That was her room that exploded!" cried Elina. Claudette felt her stress pile high. She knew all too well about Elina's feelings about Leina.

"Not now, Elina!" she replied. Elina's eyes turned puffy and red, ready to cry. Claudette sighed and shook her head, trying desperately not to think about that first explosion and the implications it had. If Leina had died, then the next few months were going to become utter hell for her and not just because she died. She held her sister with more tenderness as she spoke softly.

"Look, I'm sorry, I'm _so_ sorry, but right now, we have to go!"

* * *

"Aw, don't tell me I killed you already, Leina. That means I have to find your body – or pieces – and bring you back and it'll just be gross" called out Melona, inspecting her nails. The heat had no effect on her slime body. She paced the debris ridden roof like it was a walk in a park and the flames were an uninteresting sight. However, from behind she heard footsteps – heavy footsteps – and the clanging of metal. Melona pirouetted round to face Leina, now donning a metal set of armour and clutching a large sword.

"I'm not dead yet, you monster" she hissed. Her determined glare hid the discomfort of her mother's armour from her. The breast-plate was too tight – not to mention too small – for her and the lack of skin coverage meant that she could feel the heat to almost unbearable degrees. She tried to stop shaking as she gripped her sword. A cold sweat appeared on her forehead as Melona laughed lightly.

"_Seriously?_ You thought that old hunk of junk would be the best solution?" she asked, pointing at her. Leina's grip on her sword tightened.

"I don't think it matters! I'll make you pay!" she roared. Melona feigned a yawn and put her arms behind her shoulders. Her 'other hands' covering her chest moved suddenly and grabbed her bust. This sudden act caught Leina off guard and made her raise an eyebrow. This battle was off to a very strange start.

"Blah blah, whatever Leina" she muttered. With a squeeze, a white substance shot out of her. Leina jumped out-of-the-way, not wanting to get hit. It wasn't the fact that the substance could have been anything that disturbed her. It was the fact it came from her breasts that freaked her out to no-end.

"WHAT THE FU-" she shouted but before she could finish her curse, the 'substance' hit the ground and detonated suddenly. The blast threw Leina to the ground but it didn't take her long to get to her feet. However she didn't have fighting on her mind.

"…WHAT WAS THAT?" she screamed, pointing to the small, smoky crater. Melona looked back and forth between it and Leina's exasperated expression.

"Hm?"

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" she screamed again. Melona tapped her foot, awkwardly staring at Leina. She wasn't entirely sure what her problem was. The mood had taken a rather strange turn all of a sudden.

"It was, uh, explosive milk" she replied, as if it was a completely normal thing to have. Leina allowed the phrase to go through her brain multiple times but got nothing back. Instead she could only yell one word.

"…**WHAT?!"**

Melona scoffed and tried to shoot her again but this time, Leina was ready. She darted past the 'milk' and made a beeline for Melona. With her sword at the ready, Leina cut into her opponent mercilessly trying to slice Melona apart but every cut became utterly pointless, chopping at slime. If Leina managed to cut off her hand, then it just grew back instantly. Melona morphed her arm into a club and started to attack back, swinging wildly at her. It didn't take long for her to realise Leina was never taught how to use a sword. She swung it through the air like she was holding a tree-branch. The two clashed, staring angrily at each other as the flames got brighter and more intense.

* * *

Back on Hinomoto, the fires there were only getting bigger as the priestesses and Kouma Ninjas did battle with each other. Bodies of both sides lay in bloody heaps on the ground – more of them Kouma – but the dead would have to wait. Tomoe fought at the front, effortlessly cutting apart man after man. The sight of their settlement burning and her dead sisters caused her to fly into a state of permanent fury. She didn't care how brutal she was cutting apart the ninjas, she wanted each one dead on the ground – in multiple pieces even.

"They just keep coming!" cried one woman, stabbing a ninja.

"It's like an army!" replied another.

"Looks like they're thinning out now though! Just keep going and do not let your guard falter!" she called out hoping to boost their morale in some way, but she was right that the number of ninjas coming to attack them was getting fewer. The body count wasn't however. One ninja decided to get too close to Tomoe trying to break her neck. Still enraged by the destruction around her, Tomoe grabbed his face and gripped as hard as she could, digging her nails into his head. She forced him to his knees in front of her. _"You will fall __**at my feet!" **_she threw him to the ground and stabbed him in the heart where he lay, not showing the slightest sign of mercy.

The ninjas suddenly stopped moving and pocketed their knives and ninja stars. Tomoe watched carefully, waiting for a sudden attack that never came. Her body turned tense and jittery, waiting for the slightest moment. The skin of one man standing in front of her suddenly turned blotchy and morphed into a horrible vomit colour. With no warning, every man still standing 'melted' into blobs of scaly sludge, leaving behind their clothes, weapons and everything else that wasn't part of their physical body. These piles of skin moved together, morphing into each other sounding like mud squelching together. As the flames burned brighter, the ninjas formed together into a bigger and more defined pile. Growing almost as tall as the temple with the man power of possibly hundreds of men, the pile formed two lizard eyes and a massive mouth opened up revealing a large pink tongue. Lizard-like legs plopped out of the skin piles and smash hard into the ground, lifting the creature tall. The Kouma Ninjas had transformed into their rana or 'toad' form. The beast roared to the sky then at the woman watching below. Its breath was hot and putrid.

"_That's impossible!" _Tomoe's thoughts turned much less 'calm' than before. Realising that this thing was capable of wiping out everyone if they remained in the clusters they were, Tomoe turned towards her fellow warriors.

"Get inside the temple! ALL OF YOU!" she screamed. They did not hesitate to listen to her orders. They knew the temple was extremely durable and at that moment was the safest place in the settlement. Tomoe stared the toad down as everyone else retreated inside the temple and as she wiped her sword, a revelation hit.

"_So that's why they wanted to destroy it…so when they retreated…" _she said under her breath, imagining the temple suddenly exploding with the death screams of her friends. Her vision was a warning after all, telling her to avert the deaths of every single priestess taking cover. Glaring, Tomoe began her long walk towards the beast.

"Here I am! You wanted the Warrior Priestesses dead, but you'll have to defeat me first! Know this!..." she called. The toad looked down at her and Tomoe felt the murderous stares of countless men. She looked up pointing her sword at it.

"…I stand alone as I face you, in the face of complete desolation! But know that I do not fear you! You come to my home to with the sole purpose of death and destruction,_ but I will not allow you to succeed! __**I am Lady Tomoe – Thee Warrior Priestess! AND YOU WILL ALL ROT IN HELL!"**_

The toad roared in response as Tomoe dashed towards it, screaming in rage. Her greatest challenge had just begun.

* * *

"Get back here you hussy!"

Melona sent numerous tentacles flying towards Leina, trying to land a hit or at least hold her still. Leina grinned as she gracefully dodged every swipe at her face or her chest, cutting at Melona when the opportunity presented itself. Every appendage she cut just flopped to the floor and slid back into her.

The two clashed again, though this time Melona had the upper hand. Despite being able to recover her strength, the ordeal had quickly tired her out and still inexperienced. Melona began to push her back, grinning widely. "You can dodge, I'll give you that. But your technique? Non-existent" she hissed. Her taunts only forced Leina to push harder. "Even an infant with a stick could hit me better than you"

Leina watched as Melona's face warped and out of nowhere, a fist launched out of it, hitting her on the nose. Clutching her face, Leina was left wide open for attack. Melona turned her arm into a massive sledgehammer and swung at Leina's stomach. "I bet they even **dodge** better!" she screamed.

***CRACK!***

"_**GAAAAH!"**_

A blood-curdling screamed echoed in the air around them. Melona's arm slammed hard into Leina's breast-plate, shattering it into pieces. Blood splattered across the ground in large quantities as Leina landed hard on her back. In her roars of pain, she looked down to her body. Though her vision had turned blurry and colours had faded, she could see her armour torn apart at the stomach, leaving several deep cuts across her skin but they were nothing compared to the one massive chunk of metal embedded deep into her flesh just above her navel. Leina tried desperately to stop the blood flow, covering the wound

"_No no no! This isn't happening!"_

She got to her feet as fast as she could to keep fighting – or perhaps try to run away - but the pain was too much. She fell forward on her stomach, further impaling herself with her own armour. Melona laughed as Leina screamed again.

"Ahaha! Ah…Looks like we've come to the end of our little debacle. I'll bring your corpse back to the Swamp Witch once you've bled out, I wouldn't want to make a mess…" she taunted. Leina lay motionless, breathing heavily. Her death came sooner than she ever anticipated but in her fantasies, she never envisioned it would be quite like this.

* * *

Tomoe found a certain sense of enjoyment out of battling the great monster the Kouma Ninjas had transformed into. Its long slimy tongue flopped out of its mouth and slammed hard into the ground, narrowly missing the lone fighter. Tomoe growled, waiting for it to attack with its tongue again. As it came down, Tomoe leapt into the air and cleanly sliced through the appendage spilling a black, sticky substance to the ground. The toad roared in pain as Tomoe landed, pleased at her successful parry. However as she readied up another attack, she became distracted by her own fingers.

The same fingers she used to extinguish all the Kouma bombs – the one that she blistered horribly – had mysteriously healed. She should have noticed earlier that it wasn't painful to grip her sword. Thoughts and questions ran through her mind. Something like that couldn't have healed so quickly.

"_Did I do that-"_

Tomoe had let her guard down and it was far too late for her to realise this before the toad spat a huge amount of a purple, hot liquid at her. She was quickly caked in the substance which acted like glue. Tomoe could barely move her legs to run and her arms were totally stuck. Her clothes began to burn against the acidic spit but that was the least of her concerns. What was left of the tongue flopped out and swung round. She had to stand there and watch in petrified horror as the tongue smashed through several buildings – all on fire – and smash against her. It was like being hit by a wrecking ball. The tongue tore Tomoe from her glue trap and launched into a stone wall.

On impact, she began to focus – unwillingly – on the damage she took. On impact, she heard several sharp cracks echo around her as she slammed into the wall front first. What worried her in this slow-motion moment was her head colliding with the wall followed by sharp pain and another loud crack. If the crack came from her skull, her time was short.

Tomoe flopped to the ground, groaning in dull agony as the toad 'laughed' at her. She was as good as dead in the eyes of Kouma Ninjas. Satisfied, the toad stomped its way towards the temple to finish the job. Tomoe closed her eyes, trying to stand up and ignoring her surely broken ribs.

"_No! This…isn't my fate. It…can't…be…" _she whispered. Her arms gave out and she fell to the ground a second time. There wasn't anyone to help her, and there was nothing she could do to save her fellow warrior priestesses.

* * *

"_**Stand up! Both of you! I did not intervene just to watch you both give up now!"**_

* * *

The voice yelled into both the ears of both women, ordering them to keep going. Leina opened her eyes as a warm burst of power burned in her chest. Tomoe pushed herself off the ground – buckling under pressure – and faced the toad with blood dripping out her mouth. Neither bothered to question why the voice asked for more than one person. In truth, the first two words were more than enough to get them back up.

"I'm not giving up. _Not now__**. Not ever"**_ thought Tomoe, getting to her feet.

Leina sighed to herself – almost in bliss – as her strength returned slowly._ "This…this is a new feeling…"_

Her pained moans as she got up got Melona's attention. The Protean Assassin turned and took a step back in silent shock as Leina started to squirm. Blood still poured from her stomach, but any other human would have died by now. How was she still alive?

"Oh?" said Melona amused and admittedly surprised to find Leina getting to her feet. She put her hands on her hips, watching Leina hoist herself up with her sword while still clutching her stomach.

"Nngh…I'm…still…breathing…" she muttered between anguished breathes. Something was pushing her to keep going against all odds. She wasn't going to win, but she was not going to go down easily. On her feet, she began a slow shuffle towards Melona with every single part of her brain with the same goal – survive. Melona scoffed at her insistent nature.

"For now. I'll give you credit Leina. You're very persistent" she replied, looking to the burning ruins.

"Yeah…"

"But you know that's just the adrenaline talking. Your body will give up on you any second now. I think we're done here" she said coyly. Leina's aggressive frown turned to a stare of raw hate and pure rage, catching Melona off guard. Her eyes looked deep into Melona's with pin-point precision. For the first time, Leina seemed frightening. She quickened her movement, getting more and more enraged with every step.

"You're right..._We..." _she began, sheathing her sword. Melona raised an eye-brow. If there was one thing she could take from this, Leina wasn't surrendering just yet_. "are...__**so..." **_Her voice got rougher and far more threatening. To Melona's shock, Leina reached down to her stomach and grabbed the piece of metal sticking out of her stomach and yanked it out, spraying blood into the air. She didn't scream, she didn't even show signs of registering pain and just kept walking towards her. Her open wound oozed profusely._** "so…"**_she growled, now mere steps away from Melona, whose smile was gone. Alarmed, she readied up another explosive attack but froze when Leina broke off another piece of her armour and raised them above her head. The flames around her painted Leina in a hellish light, one that made her seem utterly terrifying, even to Melona.

"…_**DONE!" **_Leina screamed, stabbing the two shards deep into Melona's chest, blocking her explosive based attacks. Melona screeched in agony as Leina began to feel faint after using all her strength getting to her feet. She clenched her fists and tentacles stretched out of her in rage, reaching for Leina with sharp edges but before Melona could stab Leina to death, she stopped.

"ARGH! YOU BITCH! YOU'LL…._NO NO NONONONO-!" _she screamed. The shards plugged her up and as a result, Melona began to slowly inflate, screaming in pain the whole time. Leina looked up with wide-eyes as Melona quickly tripled in size.

"Oh, SHI-" Leina muttered.

Before she could utter another word, Leina felt herself thrown backwards by an explosive force unlike any other she'd felt before. Her ears went deaf with only a loud ringing to let her know she was alive. Melona had reached her peak and exploded, engulfing the roof in a sea of fire and smoke. The explosion destroyed both the roof and ripped apart a nearby tower, sending bricks, glass and other debris falling down to the ground below. In the underground bunkers, guests huddled together in fear of the unknown. Elina held back tears and Claudette stood at the door, waiting – hoping – for Leina to come through, but there was nothing but silence after the blast.

On the ground in front of the bridge leading to the outside forests, Leina lay on her side. Having fallen several feet it was a miracle she was still conscious, let alone alive. Debris landed at her side, smoking from the fires. Struggling to move, she rolled on her back, feeling a sharp but bearable pain in her arm. She looked over to find her right arm twisted and bent in directions unnatural to the human body, broken in several places. It didn't matter, she couldn't feel it compared to the hole in her gut which thanks to the missing shard had begun pouring blood to the cold, hard ground.

"_Did…Did I win? I…win…" _she said quietly. No matter the condition she was in and how much of beating she took, Leina had one her battle – her first ever – but nobody was there to cheer for her. If anything, it was a silent victory. Leina pushed herself off the ground with her only working hand and looked out towards the desolation before. Her room was gone, the tower was gone, the roof of the main building had been blown to nothing and the grounds lay as a barren, burning wasteland. Her heart felt heavy at the sight. Her home – her childhood even – was now a wreck.

"_I…see…fire…I…have to get out of…here…"_

Although she was in no condition to walk, she got to her feet and looked back at the forest with a tired looked of intent and began to limp across the bridge, paying no heed to the trail of blood she left behind her.

* * *

Ignoring her injuries, Tomoe called the beast back to her, seconds before it tried to ram the temple. It slowly turned and stared at her. It showed no human emotions but Tomoe grinned as she sensed the collective curses of hundreds of men come from its roars. She stood alone, clutching her sword with blood – both her own and the ninjas' – smeared across her face and her body. Her kimono was a burned and torn mess, revealing several small cuts across her legs, arms and chest.

"Catch me if you can, you beast!" she screamed, sprinting out of its sight. She knew she had angered the creature and at that time, her brain went into overload. She knew exactly what she had to do to defeat it and she was not going to make a clean job in doing so. In her head, a plan was brewing. Tomoe skilfully leapt up on to the still burning rooftops and ran across them as fast as she could. She was in no condition to be moving like she was but with a fire in her chest, she forced herself to keep running. With every leap she took, her feet left a trail of fire behind them. All this did was let the toad know where she was but this was exactly was she wanted – its attention. Once she had leapt high enough, she suddenly changed course…and darted right towards the beast. It was ready for her and readied its tongue to swipe her out of the sky and this time it would kill her. Tomoe leapt into the sky, readied her sword and focussed. Time slowed but she didn't. At incredible speeds, Tomoe sliced the tongue into hundreds of chucks of meat with sword swings faster than the human eye could make out. Still in mid-air, she aimed her sword at its forehead and screamed.

"**Warrior Priestess Secret Technique – Holy Flare!"**

Her sword ignited in flames and at speeds that even the Head Priestess couldn't comprehend; Tomoe darted towards the toad in the blink of an eye with her entire body engulfed in a mystical, lavender flame. Just before impact, Tomoe screamed once more at them.

"Now _**die!" **_she roared at the top of lungs. With an enraged stare that looked deep into the fearful souls of the ninjas that made up the toad, Tomoe plunged her sword deep into its eye, earning the roar of hundreds of men all screaming in endless agony. Not stopping at just the eye, Tomoe dug her sword deeper and hung onto the blade, putting all her body-weight on it. Her blade sliced down through the eye and kept going, cutting deep down the toad's face all the way to its mouth. She kept going, screaming as she cut its face in half. Black, oozing blood squirted into the air and over her body. With one last scream, Tomoe sliced through its lower jaw and began her free-fall to the blood-stained ground below. Its death roars were deafening yet altogether satisfying to hear. Her fellow priestesses watched with glee as toad stomped aimlessly around, roaring and screaming.

Tomoe landed with grace – at least, she appeared to. As she hit the ground, she heard a distinct crack from her legs. Thankfully, there wasn't any pain to suggest something had broken. She had already broken enough bones fighting that creature. However no pain in the world could distract Tomoe from the sight she saw around her. As the toad hit in the ground spraying a sea blood over the once-pristine gardens and walkways, the settlements around her burned brightly. Fire engulfed the buildings, the archways and some parts of the surrounding forests. The temple remained standing but at what cost? By all definitions, the home of the Warrior Priestesses was almost completely destroyed. Cherry blossom leaves waved past her face – serving as the last form of the settlements true nature - along with the putrid mixed smell of blood and ash. As she stared at the destruction around her, Tomoe began to think about her vision. Was this the 'better outcome'? What was the bad one? And who was the mysterious figure she was to do battle with? The flames were there, her opponent was not. But there was one part that made sense in that moment.

"_Violence breeds violence? Hm…I can agree with that" _

Tomoe looked to the sky as it was lit up with a horrific, yet rather beautiful orange. Flames burned around the corners of her vision as Tomoe felt her eye-lids turn heavy and her limbs go very weak. _"They really hurt me this time…" _she thought to herself. Her vision darkened and against all efforts to stay standing, her broken bones took their painful toll. Her chest burned in agony and the any thought hurt like unholy hell. With one final tired breath, Tomoe fell to the ground as her body finally gave out.

* * *

Unaware to the chaos close by, a young wanderer walked through the forest close by Castle Vance, happily taking in the night air whistling a small tune. Only owls and crickets accompanied him as he calmly continued his relaxing walk.

"…_AaaaAARGH!..."_

The silence around him shattered like glass. Alerted, the man turned round to find an unpleasant sight. Leina was trailing behind him - unaware of his presence – clutching desperately at her stomach. Even in the night, the young man could make out the blood-stains across her body and the blood dripping to the ground. He stopped and stood still, trying to gauge what exactly he was up against.

"Hello?" he called loudly. Leina didn't respond and instead kept walking towards him, trailing her feet in the dirt. The man called out again, "Hey! Hey lady! Are you ok-"

"_**AAARGH!"**_

With one blood-curdling skyward scream of pain, Leina collapsed to the ground clutching her gut, desperately trying to stop the blood flow but all her attempts did was cause more unnecessary pain and the blood simply seeped through her fingers. The man – realising she was in trouble - ran towards her as fast as he could and knelt at her side, horrified by Leina's blood soaked body.

"My God! What happened to you?!" he cried. Leina barely registered him and concentrated on breathing, but even that proved to be a challenge. She removed her hands to let him see the damage – the damage she did. The man gasped as Leina uncovered the large hole in her stomach, bleeding constantly and heavily. There was one price to pay for using the shard keep all the blood inside against Melona. Her eyes began to roll back and her breathing turned shallow. "Hey, don't give out! I think I have some bandages! Just hold on!..." he cried going through his bag in a blind panic. Leina could barely hear him now, just wanting to sleep. But as her mind turned to silence, she heard the voice again.

"…_**This is not your fate, Wandering Warrior. You have a greater purpose in this world. You have been given the power to live, Leina Vance, and I hope you learn not to rely on it…"**_

That same voice returned like a whisper and as it left, Leina felt heat all over her body. She struggled to open her eyes again.

"_So…that is my title…" _she thought to herself as the faint feeling of death began to fade. The man ripped through his bag, desperately trying to find something to stop the bleeding. He kept looking up from his bag to check on her, making sure she was still breathing but after one look, he stopped. From Leina came a faint, high-pitched sound like whistling and it was only getting louder every second, but it wasn't the sound that got his attention. Leina's hands and her head looked like they had caught fire, seemingly out of thin air. The flames were a beautiful golden colour – pleasant to the eye.

"What the hell?!" cried the man as the flames grew larger and more violent. Leina wasn't burned by these mysterious flames and if anything, she looked like she was enjoying it. The hole in her stomach began to slowly stitch itself up. Repulsed and horrified by the sight the man turned and fled, leaving his belongings by Leina's side as she slowly got to her feet against all logic. Slowly stretching her arms to her sides, she looked skyward as the golden flame engulfed her sight.

"_This feels good…" _she whispered blissfully as a surge of energy coursed through her body. With a soft smile and a sigh, energy suddenly burst violently out of her hands and neck with the sound of thunder cracking across the sky. The flames burned into the ground and roasted the trees as Leina regenerated for the first time.


	6. 5: Summer Fun

"**Two Days after the Black Mountain Incident"**

The sun roasted Gianos under the spotlight of a summer's day. Towns across the continent were loud with the day-to-day tasks of their citizens. However not too far away from a small mountain town, two young warriors were walking together in harmony next to a large cool river. The heat was immense but bearable with the occasional cool breeze sweeping over their bodies. Leina and Tomoe were both still slightly tense from the events up on the Black Mountain. Leina had saw Tomoe kill before but not that close up and not after her victim had surrendered in battle. However it didn't bother her as much as it bothered Tomoe – their differences in morals were quickly becoming clear. She would kill if the victim deserved their fate or tried to kill her first while Leina refused to kill anyone no matter how horrific their crimes were.

However, Tomoe knew that deep-down in Leina's heart; she had her limits to how much she could take. She had come close to killing before in the past. Her eyes suddenly turning red was her first sign that she had buried anger problems.

At the same time, she had a certain childish approach to everything, including her own abilities. Even as they walked, Tomoe caught Leina casting her own regeneration energy from her hand admiring the golden flame-like streaks of light as they shined bright in the sun along with the distinct high-pitched whistling sound she had grown to enjoy hearing. Tomoe was quick to scold her however for wasting her powers for her own pleasure.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You never know when danger will strike and you need to regenerate an injury. What if you get badly hurt and you lack the charge to regenerate?" she asked, disturbing their silence. Leina scoffed and held her hand out towards her. The energy burned brighter.

"Relax Tomoe, I've got my powers under control-AH!" Leina suddenly grabbed her hand as golden flames suddenly burst from it. While the sensation was warm and pleasant, she tried desperately to stop it. If she didn't she'd have to begin a full regeneration, leaving her empty and weak. Tomoe stopped and watched her try to wrangle her energy to stop, half-worried and half-amused. Eventually she got it to stop, panting before turning to her with a placid expression. "See? Under control...Stop looking at me like that" she muttered, noting Tomoe's grin. She was extremely tempted to tell her off like a mother to her disobedient child but decided against it.

"You're overconfident in yourself. There is nothing wrong with believing you are capable but you must recognise your limits" she replied. Leina sulked and looked back at her hand. Tomoe looked out towards the river with the sun reflecting perfectly on the water's surface. The environment wasn't quite as pretty as Hinomoto but it did make her feel at ease. "Come. Let us relax by the river for a while. We've walked for a while now, we could use the rest"

"I can't argue with that" replied Leina. With a smile she joined Tomoe at the riverbank. The priestess sat at the edge, watching the world go by – though there wasn't much of a 'world' to watch except a couple of birds flocking around the nearby trees. Leina looked down at her own crystal clear reflection, gazing at her – thankfully - blue eyes. "The water looks really clean. I bet you could drink this" she said in a pleased tone. Tomoe nodded with a soft smile.

"Mhmm, it reminds me of home. The lakes as clear as diamonds" she replied. She closed her eyes and envisioned her home in nostalgic bliss. She had only been gone for around a week but she was already missing Hinomoto. She had barely given thought to the warrior priestesses since she left however; her travelling and relationship with Leina occupied her thoughts more and more with each day. As she sat thinking about Hinomoto, Leina took off one of her steel boots and dipped her foot into the water. It felt pleasantly cool to the skin, perfect against the heat of the sun. She smiled and turned to her companion.

"Hey, it feels great! Feel like going for a swim?" she asked.

"While the notion does sound inviting, we don't have swimwear" she replied, still looking off to the distance.

"So what? We don't need swimwear out here" replied Leina. Tomoe turned to find Leina was taking off all her armour. Her gauntlets, her boots and her belts were already on the ground in neat pile. Being the modest one, Tomoe did not react well.

"L-Leina! What are you doing?!" she yelled, blushing furiously. Leina stopped and raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, I'm taking my armour off? I'm not wearing it in the water, I'll sink like a rock!" she replied, resuming taking off the plates around her waist and thighs. Tomoe tried desperately to say something to stop her but she couldn't think of anything in her panic.

"But you can't go in naked!" she replied in a panic. Leina tossed her headband and the hoops in her braids to the ground, already starting to unbind her sword from her waist.

"I can, I should and I will" she replied ignoring her objections. She started to whistle a small tune as she slipped off her underwear, tossing it to the ground. Losing her armour made the sweltering heat more bearable as the breeze had more 'access' to her skin. Tomoe, however only got more embarrassed.

"HAVE YOU NO SENSE OF MODESTY?!" she screamed. Blood began to drip from her nose at the sight. Leina finally began to unbind her breastplate, excited to cool down in the river. She grinned and shook her head at Tomoe's shock.

"If the sight of me naked offends you so much, then avert thy eyes, Lady Tomoe!" she yelled at the top of her voice. With one last belt unbuckled, she cast her arms to the side and allowed her plate to fall to the ground with a heavy thud. The breeze felt excellent against her skin, a feeling she couldn't hide as she sighed with delight and shook her body. She felt much lighter at the same time. Tomoe found it difficult to look away from her, noticing how wearing her armour had affected her body. Her arms and legs had become more muscular along with her stomach which looked more defined.

With a grin, Leina took a few steps back and ran at full-speed towards the river, laughing and leaping into the water holding her body tight yelling "Cannonball!" as she hit the water with a large splash. She resurfaced seconds later, still laughing with glee. Tomoe repressed her indignation with Leina's nudity and found time to smile at happiness. She even found herself laughing softly along with her as Leina swam around the river.

"Hm…The sight of her in such high spirits warms my heart. She might overconfident but there is a truly kind and brave soul inside her" spoke her inner monologue. Leina swam up to where she sat and rested her arms on the shore. Her intentions were ultimately harmless but her nakedness still made Tomoe feel uneasy.

"Ah! The water feels amazing! So cleansing…you sure you don't want to come in for a swim?" she asked. Tomoe shook her head.

"I must refuse. Sorry"

"You sure?"

"Mhmm"

Leina wasn't going to take no for an answer. She could see how tense she was and knew that sometime in the water would do some good. She tilted her head to the side and grinned.

"…C'mon. You'll love it!"

"I said no, Leina" she replied defiantly. She still wasn't going to give up. Her grin grew wider as she pulled herself out of the water in full view of Tomoe.

"Leina? What are you doing?" she asked. Tomoe stared up to Leina's completely naked and soaking body as she grinned down at her, trying to make eye-contact.

"You've got to liven up!" she replied.

"What do you-Ah! Leina!"

Leina leapt onto her and pushed her to the ground, giggling. Tomoe tried to shove her off but her wet – not to mention – cold – body made her tense up with water soaking through her kimono. Leina got to work taking off Tomoe clothes as quickly as she could – taking advantage of her time 'frozen'. She unbound her skirt and pulled it off. Tomoe tried to kick her away.

"Now we won't need this!" she said, tossing away her skirt, leaving Tomoe's legs bare and vulnerable to the cool breeze. Tomoe tried desperately to hold off her wet hands but she couldn't stop her getting a grip of her kimono. Leina open it wide, exposing Tomoe's chest to her. "We won't need that…" she muttered, taking it off and completely exposing her upper body. Tomoe's blush intensified, trying to cover her breasts. However covering them was meaningless; Leina grabbed hold of her underwear and yanked it down her legs "and we won't need this!" she said tossing them aside.

Tomoe's nosebleed returned as her embarrassment reached its peak. She screamed at her. "L-LEINA! I MUST PROTEST!" Tomoe stopped squirming as Leina hovered over her body, looking into her lavender eyes.

"I'm trying to help you unwind! The water will make you feel better…" she replied softly. The two remained motionless for a few seconds too long for Tomoe as water dripped onto her skin. Leina grinned, got up and pulled her to her feet. Tomoe – still in shock - fell forward into Leina's arms, squashing her freezing body against hers. With her added weight, the two toppled into the river together with a splash screaming and laughing all the way in. The commotion disturbed some animals living in the trees, making them scurry.

They resurfaced moments later with Leina still giggling like a young girl. Tomoe's hair covered her face and hid her expression. "Haha! Now that was fun!" laughed Leina. Tomoe uncovered her face and glared at her as her fury began to build. However her glare did not put Leina off, she kept grinning sheepishly, rolling her eyes as she spoke.

"You…You deliberately make me do something against my will! You rip off my clothes! YOU-" she hissed but before she could continue berating Leina for her 'crimes' she was interrupted by a splash of water. Leina laughed quietly and swam closer while Tomoe wiped the water away from her eyes.

"Oh live a little, Lady Tomoe. Besides…" Leina gently put her hands on Tomoe's shoulders and smiled, "…Doesn't this feel so much better?" she asked with a quiet and wispy tone. Tomoe examined her innocent, kind expression and frowned. She was surprisingly good at calming her down but at the same time their current situation was embarrassing for a Warrior Priestess. Tomoe sighed and returned the splash of water, giving into her 'charms'.

"Just don't do it again" she muttered, taking off her headband and putting up with the rest of their clothes on the riverbank. Leina rested her back against the riverbank and sighed happily to herself. Right now, she was in heaven.

"I knew you'd like it" she replied. Tomoe joined her, trying desperately not to stare at her body out of embarrassment. She knew western warriors were more 'open' than eastern ones but she didn't expect them to be this open. The only time Tomoe completely removed her clothes were when she was completely alone, never in the company of another woman. She could feel, however, Leina's eyes on her looking at her own figure. It was only natural to be curious but it didn't help her uneasiness.

The time she spent alone with Leina made her think about where she was and what she was doing. They were making good progress towards Gianos but she would have been faster if Leina wasn't with her causing trouble or playing around. If she had someone else or was alone, things might have been different.

However, her journey wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable if she wasn't there to surprise her at every turn.

"If I had known you were this persistent, I may have thought twice about letting you come with me…" she muttered. Leina put an arm around her shoulder and jokingly pulled her close, much to her surprise.

"Oh, you don't mean that. I can tell just by looking at you that you enjoy my company really" she replied. Tomoe couldn't tell her she was wrong either. Leina looked out over the river and sighed. This was the life she had always wanted and thankfully she wasn't living it alone.

Yet it wasn't without hardship, even between them.

"I will admit, our meeting was certainly eventful"


	7. 6: Wandering Warriors

Clouds wisped on by as the sun shined its natural light down on the Earth, bringing about another day. However for some, the next day either meant rebuilding or remembering the fallen. Castle Vance lay in ruin and most of the Warrior Priestesses' settlement in Hinomoto had been reduced to charred ruins. To make matters worse, the two young women responsible for bringing an end to the chaos on both lands were severely injured or dead.

Or at least, that would be the fate of a normal human being. Lying alone in a bright, glistening forest with broken armour and long frizzled hair, Leina slowly awoke from what felt like an eternal sleep. Disturbed and nauseated with only the smell of fresh air to please her, she rubbed her eyes and pushed herself up off the sticky grass. Her arms and legs were – of course – full of energy despite everything that happened the night before. Dirt and soot covered her body however instead of questioning this, she wondered about something she never thought about before in her life.

"Am I alive?" she asked aloud. She grabbed her face and felt her features, inspecting everything. "Head, eyes, mouth, nose, ears…all still here!" she said excitedly. She felt her long and rough hair, pulling out some pieces of dirt and grime. Her attention turned to her arms, feeling them to make sure she was all in one piece.

"Ok, so arms..." she trailed off when she felt her right arm, feeling her bones, "…Not broken?" she asked herself. Memories of the night before slowly returned, including one of her arm bent and broken. She ignored it for now and looked at her legs as if they were aliens stuck to her body. She grabbed them, feeling her scratched armour and tense skin.

"Legs! I've still got legs! I could go for a jog!" she said happily. Energy swept over her body with the nausea slowly leaving her stomach. She felt her stomach and her chest before stopping at her breasts.

"Yep, I'm still me"

Leina looked down to her stomach to find it bare and covered with dry, flaky bloodstains. She remembered the massive hole in her gut but was amazed to find there weren't any scars or a scratch to show it was there and despite the large quantities of blood around her, she felt whole and strong.

"That's…amazing! I remember everything! That hunk of armour, Melona, all that blood…I almost died. How did I heal so fast?" she asked herself. Before she could ask herself any more questions, she clutched her stomach and rolled onto her side. A massive sting of discomfort erupted from her gut like something moved inside of her. However her eyes suddenly shot open as the realisation hit her.

"…Did my body just restart?!" she yelled, 'feeling' her internal organs restart themselves.

Leina leapt to her feet and studied her body more. There was no scratch, no bruise, no cut, no open wound, nothing that proved she was in a fight. Her body was in perfect condition in every physical aspect and every breath felt full and heavy– but the memories of the previous night remained as did the evidence. She looked around where she stood to find two burn marks in the grass. Where did they come from? There was no evidence of a fire anywhere. What was jarring however was the massive bloody trail she left behind her finishing with a large red patch of grass where she had woke.

Then she remembered. The blinding golden light, the flames from her hands and head and the blissful feeling coursing through her body.

"I…healed myself last night. That's right, I fell down then I got up and…I burned. I exploded in a sea of golden flames…Maybe that's why I'm better? I don't know…I don't know anything right now. But there was a man with me when it happened. At least, I _think_ there was a man with me last night"

She looked down to find a small bag left at her side. So there was a man with her when she burned. Where did he go? Leina imagined what happened must have frightened him off, so where did he go. She searched through the bag, finding random tools and equipment – not items typically found in a "wanderer's" bag. Scissors, knives, bandages and a small sack of money were just a few items of interest but on the inside of the bag was a small label.

"Handmade in Adstir"

"Adstir? Might be a good place to start looking. Looks like I really am the Wandering Warrior after all. Well, I'd better start going, but first…"

Before setting out, Leina took out her sword, briefly admiring the sharp edge of the blade. Taking her hair in one hand, she cut it off, leaving her with short, blonde hair and two long braids dangling at the sides of her face. Satisfied, she grabbed the bag and hoisted it around one shoulder and began her journey. This journey lasted only a dozen steps before the realization came crashing down.

"…I don't even know where Adstir is. Ah... _fu-_"

* * *

_"Everyone! Take cover behind something stone!"_

_"To arms!"_

_"It's like an army!"_

_"I'm not giving up.__Not now_**_. Not ever"_**

_"__Violence breeds violence…"_

_"_**_I am Lady Tomoe – Thee Warrior Priestess! AND YOU WILL ALL ROT IN HELL!_**_"_

_"AH! Head Priestess!"_

Tomoe leapt off the bed and looked at her surroundings in a wild panic. Wide and afraid eyes stared around the room she was in, hearing and remembering the voices from the night before. The attack on the settlement, the Kouma Ninjas, the toad and all that fire that surrounded her all came flooding back like a bad dream. However Tomoe took the time to actually analyse where she was. The last thing she could remember was passing out – or dying – from her injuries and now she found herself alone in a small wooden room with one single bed and an extinguished torch to give her some form of light. The smell of the sea filled the air with the occasional rocking feeling.

Her attention turned to herself however. Bandages littered her body including one around her forehead, though she couldn't feel any pain despite how bloody the bandages were. Either she had gone numb with pain or she wasn't actually alive. Maybe she was having an out-of-body experience but what she saw didn't match up to what she felt.

Tomoe slowly peeled off the bandages to reveal that underneath the dark, blood soaked cloth her injuries had vanished. There wasn't a scratch or bruise on her. Her body felt strong and ready for battle – a far cry from what she felt the previous night.

"But that's not possible. I swear I broke several bones but…"

There wasn't even a sting of pain from her chest or head. Did she really break anything? Was the entire encounter nothing but a dream? I couldn't be. She remembered everything so vividly; Talking to Shizuka, her vision, the toad, using Holy Flare and passing out. Spotting a new kimono perched on the end of the bed along with her sword; she threw on her clothes and left the room – noticing again the sway of the room like it was rocking from side to side.

The room opened up to a small flight of stairs leading up into a blinding light. Emerging from staircase, Tomoe became blinded by the light of a summer's morning. After adjusting to the light, her eyes became fixated on the sea surrounding where she stood. It didn't take long for her to work out she was on a small sail ship.

While loud and chatty, the ship's crew all stopped and stared at her in shock and horror. They all looked like they had seen a ghost. Tomoe stared back, confused. One deckhand – a bald man with small, kind eyes came up to her.

"Lady Tomoe! What are you doing out of bed?!" he cried. Tomoe tried to come up with some excuse but the best she could think of was the most valid one.

"I woke up?"

"But your injuries!" he replied, stopping and staring at her limbs where the bandages used to be. Tomoe took off the last of her bandages around her head and dumped them where she stood. She was now in perfect condition. Seeing that she was perfectly fine, the other deckhands approached her.

"That's not possible. When you defeated that thing you were coughing up blood – barely alive – how are you standing?" asked one.

"You had a nasty head wound, ma'am"

"You know, I honestly don't know myself. I just am I suppose" she replied. Everyone looked each at other for answers but nobody was getting anything. Tomoe cleared her throat and decided to carry on as normal as if nothing had happened, walking to the edge of the ship. If everyone else was just as clueless as she was, there was no point in investigating further.

Hinomoto was far gone and the mainland was coming into view. They must have sailed while she was unconscious.

"I must say, Lady Tomoe, this is a surprise. We didn't expect you to be alive, never mind awake. The plan was to take you to the mainland so you could heal on your way to Gianos but now…I guess you can do it yourself. Somehow" replied a large man, rough in face and voice. He stood taller than her but he had a gentle presence about him.

"What is the situation with the settlement?" she asked, fearful of an answer. The man knelt on the banister and sighed. It wasn't good news.

"I'm afraid the fires have almost completely destroyed the settlement. The good news is that the casualty count is very low. Most survived the Kouma's attack. Your friend Shizuka is currently in for questioning but other than that, every member of the Kouma either ran, died or they ran into you and didn't live long enough to regret it" he replied. Though pleased at having her skills being recognised, she looked at him with a worried glare.

"She can't have had anything to do with it. I know Shizuka, she wanted them dead as much as we did!"

"You're right, she did. We found her by the corpse of a high-ranking Kouma Ninja armed with a bloody knife. We believe she is innocent regarding the attack but we're not taking any chances. It was a horrific attack, you know that Tomoe" he replied. Tomoe shook her head and took out her sword. The blade was dull with blood still covering the fine edge from the night before. Sighing, she sheathed it.

"Violence breeds violence" she muttered quietly under hear breath. She wondered if the voice's words had more meaning than she initially believed.

"Shizuka will be sent over to the mainland to find you if her innocence is confirmed but until then, you are on your own on the mainland"

"Well, that's fine. Maybe I'll find a new companion. A capable warrior who is brave, adventurous and above all, patient…"

* * *

"MY GOD WHEN DOES THIS FOREST **END?!**"

Leina screamed her frustrations at the sky in a fit of anger. She had walked for what felt like an hour and already she was getting bored. She knew that her adventures would start small but if she saw one more squirrel, she was going to cut down the tree it sat on. Normally cute or interesting sights made her feel relaxed but now they began to annoy her. Thankfully a clearing seemed to be close – close being at least a good 10 minute walk away.

Tired and bored, Leina eventually broke out of the forest and out into the opening. The sight to say the least froze her solid. For once, she could see what lay beyond the forest.

Beyond her in the distance lay a massive mountain range, blanketed with snow and perfectly illuminated by the sun above. The forest opened up to the view of rocky hills stretching into the distance with the sea sitting calmly nearby. Sitting comfortably next to the sea was a large city with boats going in and out the docks. Leina grinned and continued walking. Adstir was in sight.

Little did she know however that nearby on the water, Tomoe caught eye of the city from the edge of the boat. Before long she'd reach the mainland and nothing would be the same again.


	8. 7: Attracted to Danger

**(A/N: Short mini-chapter for now. Remember if you like what you see, please favourite/follow and leave a review, it helps give the story more exposure. Thanks!)**

* * *

Adstir's dock was abuzz with the day-to-day business and work activities of the many fishermen heaving heavy boxes of goods on and off of the small boats bobbing up and down on the water. The smell of fish and the sea was thick and almost nauseating. However everyone nearby – including the civilians on the streets – stopped and stared as the warrior-carrying ship from Hinomoto slowly arrived into dock, towering majestically over the fishermen and their own boats. One scoffed as the crew on board got to work securing the ship.

"Bah! Whoever owns that ship is over-compensating for something!" he said aloud, jokingly. The other workings chuckled to themselves. The crew quickly set up a ramp for getting to shore and not too long after that, Tomoe came into view, looking upon the busy city with a stoic gaze. Her kimono blew gently in the wind and she took in the fresh air.

"At last, I have landed. Now I can begin my journey" she thought to herself with a small smile. She slowly walked down the ramp, briefly looking at the fishermen as they gawked in surprise.

"Is that a Hinomotian?"

"It looks like a Warrior Priestess!"

"I take back what I said about over-compensating. Have you heard about their sword skills? They don't need to prove anything"

"She's kinda nice looking though"

Tomoe silently chuckled at their words as she paced the docks. Two minutes on new land and already the westerners were acknowledging her skills. Her pride swelled as a sense of superiority secretly began to grow in her mind.

"Correct. I don't need to prove anything. Once I reach Gianos, everyone shall bear witness to the skills of the Warrior Priestess" she thought with a grin. Immediately afterwards however, she started to think about what she just thought. She knew she was the best Hinomoto had to offer, but she never acknowledged in such a way before. She shook her head, forcing any doubt out of her system. Her pride was not a great concern. Right now her priority was getting to know her way around Adstir.

* * *

Children raced down the busy streets, men loudly called from stalls and women yelled for their children in a constant haze of voices entering Tomoe's ears. She discovered that the mainland was certainly louder than Hinomoto, by a significant margin. People did stop and stare at her as she walked alone down the street with a pleasant and cheerful expression. Some whispered among themselves in wonder while others openly expressed their awe at her appearance. All this further increased her pride.

"The arrival of Hinomotians doesn't seem to be a common occurrence here. Either that or they are simply expressing joy at seeing a fighter among them. With the Queen's Blade tournament starting soon, it wouldn't surprise me. I wonder if there are others here"

Tomoe's focussing didn't just work for what she heard, but for what she could see. She stopped and stared in front of her, ignoring the people walking past her. Within a second she had the faces of everyone in front of her firmly implanted in her mind, every man, woman and child. She could see all the stalls and their contents, all the owners but most importantly all their customers. Standing alone by a stall selling bags was a young blonde woman wearing – for Tomoe's tastes – revealing and immodest armour. However upon closer inspection, it did not seem to be intentional, following the cracks and burn marks. Tomoe even spotted tiny red specks of what she assumed was blood on the woman's stomach. If she was a fighter, her last battle must have ended badly. Nonetheless there wasn't a single scratch on her body. She looked young, cheerful and rather beautiful.

She consorted with the owner of the stall, over a small bag she held in her hand. Whatever question she was asking, the owner didn't have the answer. She looked lost and very out-of-place and yet her visage awoke a thought inside Tomoe's brain. She had seen this woman before, but where? She couldn't dwell on it for too long, for another face caught her attention. Standing nearby was a short, thin man eying up the young fighter from the corner of his eye. His sights appeared to be set on her bag. As the woman left the stall and walked away, the man followed after her. Tomoe narrowed her gaze and watched closely.

"Let's see if this man is more intelligent than I believe…"

The woman turned into a small, narrow alleyway and when she did, the man looked shifty-eyed at his environment before following her inside. Tomoe shook her head and followed him to the alleyway.

"I'm so disappointed…"

* * *

Alone and without answers, Leina sighed as she walked down the alleyway. It was dark and had a foul odour of something out of view. Ever since she arrived she found no luck locating the owner of the bag she found when she woke and without her own money, she was both hungry and parched. She remained blissfully unaware of the man stalking behind her, looking intently at the bag around her shoulder. He moved slowly towards her, reaching out towards bag ready to snatch it away and run. His hands inches away from their target, he felt a sharp jab at his back.

"Don't move. If you so much as twitch, your fate will be sealed"

The man stopped dead, sweating out of fear. Tomoe stood behind him with her sword aimed at his back, waiting for his next move. However the man wasn't the only one to stop. Leina also stopped dead, looking ahead with wide and frightened eyes. She wanted to scream but held her breath. The voice was commanding and she did not want to disobey it. Inside, she was screaming – screaming for help and cursing herself for letting her guard down. One day away from home and already she was in danger, or so she thought.

"Step away from this woman and put your hands in the air!" commanded the voice. Leina's fear vanished.

"Wait, what?"

Leina turned round to find her assailant raising his arms high, looking just as scared as she did. Who the hell was this? Was this the person the voice was referring to? Suddenly a hand grasped the man's head and slammed him face first into the wall with a sickening crunch. Leina jumped back with a yelp. With blood oozing from his nose he was pulled away and thrown back onto the busy street with onlookers stopping and staring at the commotion. Tomoe walked up the man as he lay on his back, clutching his nose in agony. She placed her sword inches from his throat as she spoke.

"If I see you trying to steal from her or anyone else, I will kill you before you can savour your last breath. Do I make myself clear?" she asked in a low and strict tone, glaring intensely at him. The man trembled, staring at the sharp edge of the blade. He nodded and crawled away and the while whimpering in terror. Leina watched him run while shaking herself. The last few seconds felt like they happened in the blink of an eye.

Tomoe sighed, sheathing her sword and turned back to the alleyway. Leina stared at her 'saviour' breathing heavily though her fear subsided as she looked into Tomoe's lavender eyes and studied her stern yet soft expression. Tomoe in turned looked back at her, studying her armour. The belts wrapped around her arm awakened a thought in her head.

"Your belts" she muttered quietly. Leina raised an eyebrow and looked at her arm.

"…What about them?" she asked. It was not the first words she thought the stranger would say to her.

"I've seen them before…" she replied, narrowing her gaze and thinking intently. In her vision, she had seen living belts. Perhaps they were referring her but what relevance did she have to her journey? Tomoe cleared her throat and approached her slowly. Leina backed away. "It is not my intention to harm you. Are you alright?" she asked. Leina remained silent, looking over Tomoe. She seemed to be telling the truth and looked like someone who would be – or should be – a gentle person. Leina couldn't lie to herself about her attractiveness either, she definitely was a looker.

"How do I know you are telling the truth?" she asked.

"Please. My name is Lady Tomoe. I hail as a Warrior Priestess from Hinomoto. I don't want to hurt you, Miss…?" she asked, holding her hand out to her. Leina looked back and forth between her eyes and her hand. Reluctantly, she took it in hers.

"It's Leina" she replied. Tomoe gave her a soft smile.

"Do you have a second name?" she asked. Leina opened her mouth but words didn't come out. If this woman was from another country, then she wouldn't know about the Vance family and thus couldn't sell her out. She thought about it before finally replying with a smile.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours. Unless Tomoe is your second name" she replied cockily. Tomoe laughed at the question

"I see, well everyone has their secrets, don't they?" she replied.

Tomoe touched her arm, looking at the cracks in her armour. Leina flinched but there was something about Tomoe that made her feel at ease. She looked seemed like a pleasant individual by appearances only but she _did_ just brutally attack a man.

Tomoe thought deeply about her. This 'Leina' must have a story to tell and something told her that she'd better stay close to her for the time being. She stood with clasped hands and awkwardly looked side to side.

"You, uh, look like to could do with something to drink" she spoke quietly. Truer words had never entered Leina's ears.

"If you're offering, then that'd be nice."

"If you don't mind me saying, you seem rather out-of-place" she muttered. Leina looked at herself and then the world around her.

"Well, you're not exactly wrong"


	9. 8: Secrets

For Leina, it wasn't the uncomfortable jabbing from the fragmented pieces of her armour into her stomach that bothered her. Nor was it the stares from other people. What bothered her was the innocent smile of the woman before her. The day had taken a rather unusual turn. Mere moments ago she was walking innocently down an alley unaware she was being stalked by a would-be thief. Now she sat in a small dockside cafe sipping tea with the same woman who took said thief and violently slammed his face into a brick wall. Every time she put the scenario through her mind, it made less sense but it didn't make the atmosphere any less awkward. How could this 'Tomoe' woman go from violence to innocently sitting down with a total stranger in such a short timespan was beyond her. Ignoring her violence, she was downright _chummy. _She was the reason people stared at them from the corner of their eyes.

After accepting her offer and sitting down for a drink, Leina revealed more about who she was and more importantly what happened to her – of course she made sure to leave out vital details. She didn't dare mention her family background or the voice she heard in her head. One particular note caught Tomoe's attention.

"So after you awoke, your injuries had healed. Am I correct?" she asked, looking deep in thought.

"That's right. I had this massive hole in my stomach. Heh, you could have fit your fist in there" she replied, finding the ability to laugh at what happened. Tomoe tried not to think about her grotesque description. "But I remember…exploding. Flames bursting from my body. It felt great, like you know that comfort you get when you sit next to a fire? It was like that but all over" she went on. Tomoe got to thinking about her own injuries.

Leina sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. "So, now it's my turn. You know about me, but what about you? What's the story behind 'Lady Tomoe'?" she asked. Her tone was playful – flirtatious even - and yet her smirk and calm eyes made Tomoe feel uneasy when it should have had the opposite effect. She cleared her throat and spoke.

"If you must know, I was chosen as Hinomoto's best to fight here in an attempt to alleviate the corruption it faces. It is a wonderful and beautiful place and yet underneath the blanket of its beauty lies its hidden problems built on deception. I am the Hinomoto's weapon in making its beauty become real once more. I shall my country's only hope and greatest burden…" she replied passionately, distantly thinking about her home and her mission. She told herself over and over to never lose sight of why she was there.

Leina however was less enthralled with her story and just stared at her with a cocked eyebrow. Everything Tomoe just said could have been jibberish for all she knew. Tomoe recognised the silence and cleared her throat, realising that she may have gone overboard. "Is-Is something the matter?" she asked. Leina shook her head.

"No! Nothing at all! Just…I didn't expect that sort of response" she replied staring at her cup trying not to make eye-contact. The atmosphere had become awkward once again.

"I have another question" she asked, breaking the ice.

"Yes?"

"Why do you keep staring the belts on my arm?"

At that moment Tomoe realised that subconsciously her eyes kept drifting back to them as her vision filled her mind. Leina was of some significance to her but just how important was up in the air.

"I…It just reminded me of a strange dream I had. It's nothing to be concerned about" she lied. Leina believed her but still found her behaviour off.

Leina looked down at the table with a placid frown and sighed deeply. "So, you're a fighter, huh? Care to share some tips? Y'know, so I don't break my arm…Again" she asked. Tomoe wasn't sure how to respond. She had never been asked for advice before but it didn't take her long to think of a perfect response.

"I believe you can learn from your experience. Never let your guard down and always anticipate the enemy. You left yourself open to attack earlier" she replied. "Also, get a map. You told me you thought the mountain pass was _just after_ this city when it's actually very far away. How are you ever going to get where you need to go without directions?"

"I don't need directions anywhere. I sort of…wander around" muttered Leina. Tomoe cocked her head to the side.

"A wandering warrior, hm?"

"Well, I guess it's my title. The Wandering Warrior…I like it" she thought quietly with a smirk. The two sat idly not saying another word but each still thinking about the other. After a while, Leina's own thoughts disappeared and in their place were the same whispers that had inadvertently lead them together.

"_**She was top of her class growing up, you know. She still remembers the praise she got from her teachers and how her classmates grew incredibly jealous of her because of her talents. She doesn't mind these childhood memories though, because she remembers that if someone had tried to pick on her, she always won the fight in the end anyway. She is forever proud of those moments"**_

Leina said nothing as the voice revealed more about Tomoe. She didn't even bother questioning the voice this time and focussed more about what it said. The voice made Tomoe out to be a strong woman filled with pride – perhaps _too_ full of pride if those memories were joyful. Tomoe allowed the silence to go on for longer than she wanted and finally spoke.

"So, are you heading to Gianos to participate in the Queen's Blade tournament as well?" she asked. Leina's face instantly drained of colour and her expression sank. She looked to the table, avoiding Tomoe's gaze. "Leina?" she asked again. She looked up at her with a longing, pained gaze.

"…No" she replied sullenly. She shook her head and sighed deeply, hanging her head once more. "I'm, uh, I 'm not comfortable with talking about that tournament" she added. Tomoe raised a hand to her mouth.

"Have I said something to offend you? I apologize if-"

"You haven't done anything. Just…no. Let's not discuss it" she muttered. Tomoe studied her distant expression and realised there was something in her past that ate her up inside. She wanted to help her for reasons she couldn't explain. Instead, Tomoe decided that now would be an excellent time to let Leina do her own thing, before she interfered further in her life. She beckoned Leina closer to whisper something to her before she left.

"Look from the corner of your eye. There is a woman at the bar with green hair and snake like patterns on her armour. She has been glancing at you ever since we sat down" she whispered. Leina glanced briefly at the woman, examining her. She was tall, slender and had an intimidating aura around her. "Watch yourself" she warned suddenly. Leina didn't dare look round again and kept staring at Tomoe, becoming concerned for her own safety. Tomoe stood up from her table and gave a small bow.

"Well, Leina. It has been a privilege to talk to you" she said suddenly. She found the courage to smile again and gave a nod.

"And you, Tomoe"

"I must say I wish you all the best in your future battles. I think you have great potential. I see it in your eyes – three little things. Farewell, Miss Leina" she said and with that, Tomoe left the table and the café just as quickly as she had appeared. Leina sat in thought about everything she learned about her – whether she said it or not – and had questions she wanted to ask. Among them were her last words. She glanced again at the woman and found her staring back at her with a smug smirk.

Frightened, Leina got up out of her seat and ran after her while the woman at the bar watched with a raised brow. She had become concerned for her own safety all of a sudden. She ran into the street and called after Tomoe. She stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Wait! Hold up!" she yelled. Tomoe stopped and turned to her as she stopped next to her.

"Hm?"

"What three things? You don't just say something like that and walk away" she asked. Tomoe smiled and lightly shook her head.

"It's just how I judge character. It's nothing really" she replied. Leina put her hands on her hips and knelt forward with an open smile.

"Well, now I'm even more curious! I kinda want to know what you make of my character!" she added playfully. She amused Tomoe greatly on the inside. She wasn't a serious woman – something she found extremely refreshing.

"Hm, very well then" she replied. She stepped closer to Leina and looked deep into her eyes. They deviated away from her gaze but eventually settled. She found herself enthralled in how sharp and deep they were. "I see great bravery inside you. The determination you only find in those who truly know what they want to do" she said with a smile. Leina perked up.

"Well, that's good. Right?" she asked as her eyes glowed brightly in the sunlight.

"I also see beauty" said Tomoe. Leina smirked and laughed to herself.

"Well you're not so bad looking yourself" she replied flirtatiously.

"…I mean you have pure intentions and a clear soul" said Tomoe, quickly and repressing her blush.

"…Right" muttered Leina.

Tomoe looked into her eyes and saw something different. A trait about Leina she did not expect to find in her that made her question the 'beauty' in her soul. Leina crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow as her gaze deepened. "So, what was the third thing?" she asked. Tomoe swallowed her pride and prepared to tell her, unsure of how she would react.

"Well…I see-" she began. Before she could say, Leina looked off behind her and began screaming and waving her arms in the air.

"Hold up! HEY! YOU! IS THIS BAG YOURS?!" she cried out. She ran past Tomoe towards a young man walking alone in the streets. He looked shaken but stable but the second he noticed Leina speed towards him, the look of fear spread across his face.

"Wait! You're-" he spoke quietly, pointing at her. Leina skidded to a stop before him and presented his bag with a beaming smile.

"Yeah, it's me. Here's your-"

"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!" he screamed, taking a few steps back in horror. Leina's smile slid away and she examined her limbs. The man pointed at her arm and her stomach in fright – images of her blood-soaked body still embedded in his brain. His yelling was getting the attention of the people around him now. Leina narrowed her eyes.

"…No I'm not" she muttered.

"I SAW YOU DIE! I SAW YOU BURN!" he cried back. Tomoe approached them slowly, her mind full of questions. Was this the man she spoke about in her story?

"Yeah? Well I obvio-"

The man suddenly ran away from her, leaving Leina alone and confused. He shoved past people trying to make as big of a distance between himself and Leina.

"STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME, YOU CRAZY BITCH!" he cried back at her. Tomoe screwed her face up with disgust, feeling insulted _for_ Leina. She walked up to her side, watching him run away.

"How rude! You horrid man!" she shouted, "Leina are you alright?...Leina?" she asked.

She didn't answer. She didn't make any sound at all. Instead her grip on the bag tightened to the point where her gauntlet began tearing into the leather. Her mouth tightened and the look in her eyes turned feral and direct. Anyone within Leina's vision backed out of the way as her glare became more intense. To Tomoe, she looked like she was about to commit murder.

"I…_**hate**_…that word" she snarled.

"What word?" asked Tomoe. Leina shook her head and turned towards her, still seething. A full-frontal view of her anger made her squirm in her skin. The once kind and playful young woman before her suddenly looked frightening.

"What was the third thing?" she said in a low, threatening tone.

"What-"

"What was the third thing, Lady Tomoe?!" she demanded. Tomoe's hand twitched in the direction of her sword. She could feel her rage bursting from her body but above all, her eyes burned with anger. Tomoe stood a step back.

"…Nothing. It was just a mistake" she muttered. Leina closed her eyes and took a deep breath. With it, her rage subsided. The uncomfortable sensation disappeared but Tomoe's opinion on her changed. Leina reached inside the bag and pulled out a small bag of gold coins. She tossed them at her.

"Here. For saving my life" she muttered. Tomoe tried to hand it back but Leina raised her hand in protest.

"But this belongs to-"

"I don't care, screw that guy. He clearly doesn't want it" she hissed. Reluctantly, she pocketed the bag. Naturally she would have stern objections to her behaviour but Leina was different. Leina turned and walked the other way with a short, casual wave. "Goodbye Tomoe, maybe I'll see ya around" she muttered. Tomoe stared as she walked off, her boots digging into the ground. As she watched, the same voice from before spoke in her ear.

"_**It was a renegade towel boy that first called her that word. Her younger sister vowed that all who insulted Leina would regret it. So you can imagine her surprise when Leina had already managed to scare the boy into running away by doing nothing but giving a blood-curdling stare. I know what you saw in her eyes and you are correct in every regard"**_

Tomoe believed Leina was reckless and clearly had some cemented problems in her head. A protective urge flowed over her.

"I should watch over her for now" she thought to herself. Tomoe walked away from the scene, no more sure of who Leina was.

While walking, Leina stopped and looked at a posted on a wall advertising mud wrestling. The idea never crossed her mind but as a way of learning to fight it would be useful.

"That'd be a good way to earn money" she told herself. However looking closely at the drawing of the two women on the poster, she couldn't think of herself as one of them. If she was going to be a fighter, she'd do it right. She scoffed and kept walking.

"Actually, to hell with that. I'll do my own thing. Now, let's see if I can find someone to fix my armour"


	10. 9: Regeneration

**(A/N: New poll up on my profile)**

* * *

"_That damn competition…To think she'd actually fight in it. I hope she's as good as she thinks she is otherwise she'll…"_

Leina walked alone through the empty streets of Adstir. Night had fallen and she found no luck with getting her amour repaired. The issue of 'funding' was a constant niggle at both her mind and the minds of any blacksmith she came across. Even the promise of an 'I.O.U' wasn't enough for them but not once did the idea of referring to her family name come to mind. She did get a few _alternative_ offers of payment however. She spat in the faces of those men and walked away.

Still thinking to herself, she stopped and listened to the wind around her. The distant chatter of people in the local pubs was all she could hear but she still didn't feel safe.

"…Why do I get the feeling I'm being watched? It's way too…derelict around here" she thought again. She hadn't seen a single person in a while and the loneliness was starting to creep her out. From the corner of her eye, she looked round and spotted one lone figure standing at the opening of an alleyway. Though her features and appearance were mostly obscured in shadow, she could make out the individual's devious grin and womanly figure. A distinct hissing came from her general direction.

"Greetings, Miss Vance" she said quietly with a smooth and silky voice. Leina's blood turned to ice. Someone knew her second name and now everything she had worked for was at risk. She had to think fast. Adopting a coy smile, she cleared her throat.

"I think you've got the wrong woman" she said suddenly with a frozen face. The woman let out a short laugh.

"Then why do you look so guilty?" she asked. It didn't work.

"…Who are you and what do you want with me?" asked Leina, fear dripping from her voice. The woman walked out the shadows and unveiled herself. It was the same woman watching Leina before but now she got a better look of her. The woman was older than Leina but still had the look of youth on her. Her ears were longer and pointier than the average human but that's not what caught Leina's eye. Instead, her eyes were drawn to how revealing her armour was. "You're that woman from the bar, aren't you? The one with the weird snake thong" she asked. The woman's overall appearance looked snake themed. Even her shoulder-guards looked scaly.

"Oh? This isn't a belt" replied the woman. The 'thong' unwrapped itself from around her body and hissed at her. It was a real snake with sharp eyes and even sharper fangs. Leina's skin went pale as the woman grinned proudly, petting the snake's head lovingly. "His name is Keltan" she added.

"…I'm going to try very hard…to not be weirded out" muttered Leina, never taking her eyes off the snake. The woman crossed her arms and kept grinning like she knew something that Leina didn't.

"What are you doing out here, little Leina? Away from home, on your own…" she asked coldly in a tone dripping with smugness. Leina's gaze sharpened.

"What do you want with me? Who do you work for?"

"Who, me? I don't work for anyone really…I'm just having fun" she said. She began approaching Leina casually with the same devious grin. She looked over Leina's figure with a perverted glint in her eyes. "But if you want the truth…My name is Echidna and I have a very important task revolving all around your cute little head" she revealed. Leina stared Echidna down with an intense glare. Now was as good as time as any to use the famous 'Vance Death Glare' but she was too scared to try it properly.

"…You want to take me back, don't you?" she asked. Echidna giggled at her question.

"My my, you are a smart one, aren't you?" she replied. Unexpectedly however, a grin sprawled across Leina's face as she spoke. She was more confident after her encounter with Melona.

"I wouldn't try it. The last person who tried to take me somewhere? They _**blew up**_" she threatened. Echidna laughed at her again. There was nothing Leina could say or do that would make her seem in any way intimidating.

"Is that supposed to make me fear you?" she asked, walking closer to her. Leina backed up against a wall as Echidna got closer and closer to her. Panicking, she drew her sword and pointed it at Echidna's head. The blade shook wildly.

"I'm warning you, Echidna, I'm armed" she hissed, her voice squeaking of her terror. Echidna leaned past the sword and close to Leina's face – too close for comfort - and whispered. Keltan unravelled himself around Echidna and snaked up her arm.

"So am I, just not with a sword" she replied with a grin. On command, Keltan slipped off Echidna and coiled himself around Leina's arm, stopping at her head. With one loud hiss, Keltan sunk his fangs deep into her neck. Leina opened her mouth to scream to the sky in pain but before she could let out a single noise, Echidna grabbed her face and covered her open mouth with her own. Leina's blood boiled as Echidna's kiss deepened, invading her mouth with her disturbingly long tongue. She wanted to push her back and punch her with all her strength but couldn't. The pain from her bite numbed, along with the feeling in the rest of her body.

Echidna ceased her invading and unwanted kiss and held Leina up. Her legs began to buckle. Keltan returned to his natural place as his master held Leina's face close, pinching her cheeks.

"Such a cute face, you've matured well, haven't you Leina Vance?" she asked. Leina couldn't talk back and couldn't resist either.

"I can't move! Impossible!" she thought to herself. Her skin began turning pale as her heartbeat quickened.

"Keltan's poison has already made its way into your bloodstream. Soon you'll lose consciousness, then you'll die" she said with a 'matter-of-fact' tone. Leina's eyes went as wide as they could. "But don't worry. Maybe I'll give you antidote…maybe I won't. Maybe I'd be doing your sister a favour" she muttered casually. Leina's internal panic got worse as the real threat of her death became a reality. She had forgotten about what happened the last time she almost 'died' but she felt worse than last time. Her body was cold and frigid. Opening her mouth with the last of her strength, she spoke barely intelligible words.

"_S-ome-one-one…__**please**__…h-h-elp…me…"_ she cried, small tears streaming down her cheeks. Echidna's smile faded and she shook her head. Leina's behaviour was disappointing.

"How pathetic…"

As Leina's eyes began to close, an object suddenly darted past Echidna's head at blistering speeds, cutting off some strayed pieces of her sickly green hair. A card burning a blue flame had embedded itself deep into the wall behind Leina, leaving cracks on impact. For once, Echidna was caught off guard. Keltan hissed at her attacker.

"Hm?"

She turned to find Tomoe standing defiantly behind her with an intent glare. She had witnessed the entire thing, stepping in at a regrettably late moment in time. She wanted to see if Leina could save herself but in the end she knew it had to be this way.

"Release her this instant and I might spare your life" she hissed, drawing her sword and pointing it at Echidna. "Even then your chances are _**very**_ slim". Her threats didn't work however. Echidna let Leina fall to the ground like a corpse and faced her new adversary. Tomoe remained just as calm as Echidna was, though her anger was brewing inside.

"Ah, so you must be the second member of our little threesome…I see the Warrior Priestesses haven't changed much in the past hundred years" said Echidna, making idle conversation like she was her friend. Tomoe's grip on her sword tightened.

"Silence, mercenary!" she shouted. Echidna shook her finger at her, as if telling off a young child. To her however, everyone was just a child.

"You are all such an egotistical group…Always believing you are one step above the rest" she replied.

Tomoe's anger erupted from inside, crying out, "I will have SILENCE!" in rage. Echidna didn't appear fazed in the slightest however. She knelt forward with the same cocky and overbearingly smug grin she wore before.

"Or what?" she asked, "You can't kill me, I have the antidote to Leina's poison" she gave her ultimatum, though Tomoe couldn't spot any evidence of this on her disgustingly immodest person.

Tomoe looked at Leina's body with dread. She didn't know if she was unconscious or dead. However her fears lifted as she remembered their conversation from before. She had 'died' before burning up with a golden light but truthfully she doubted the claims. Nobody just wakes up with all their injuries healed, but Leina did and so did Tomoe. On cue, Tomoe watched as Leina's hands begin to light up with a faint but certainly beautiful golden flame. Leina weakly lifted her head up to look at Tomoe, her eyes barely opening. Tomoe spotted her hands and got an idea. She faced Echidna with new found confidence.

"Then I shall pry it from your dead hands!" she replied half-heartedly and adopting a battle stance, still watching Leina slowly get up off the ground.

"You'll have to kill me first, that's your problem" hissed Echidna. She stared intently into Tomoe's eyes, trying to get a sense of what she wanted out of all this. The whole situation amused her. "I must say, you must have some reason for wanting to protect this stranger this much. Is it out of kindness? Do you love this woman? Or do you have your own reason for doing this, I wonder?" she asked. Tomoe stared right through her, trying to ignore her invading words. However she struck a chord in her head. Why was she helping Leina? She couldn't dwell on the subject for too long.

"_Haah…haaah…haah…_"

Leina was on her feet – barely – with faint golden flames surrounding her hands and head. She gazed at Echidna with a look of raw anger and such contempt that she managed to strike fear into Echidna, if only just a little. What really scared her was the simple fact that she was standing.

"That's impossible. You shouldn't be able to move!" she cried. Leina ignored her and simply raised her right arm towards her, grimacing in pain as if she was holding something back. The energy around her arm burned brighter and brighter with each passing second. Echidna watched with wide eyes as Leina growled one word.

"_**RUN**_"

The fiery energy surrounding her hand burst violently towards Echidna, striking her in the eyes. Though the energy did not do any damage to her, the blast was still powerful enough to push her back and blind her eyes. Keltan hissed wildly as Echidna stumbled backwards. Regaining her sight, she came to eye-to-eye with Leina and looked deep into her furious gaze. She greatly underestimated her.

"Argh! What are you?!" she screamed, still rubbing her eyes. Leina didn't answer her. She couldn't answer her. The energy shooting out of her didn't stop at her arm. Echidna and Tomoe both watched as Leina's other arm and her head erupted with the same golden flames, firing high into air and brightening up the entire area with the golden light. The sound of high-pitched, thunderous ringing filling the air. Tomoe watched, her vision becoming reality before her very eyes. The burning figure was Leina the entire time, making her the key to everything she saw. Seeing an opportunity, Echidna ran.

"Screw this!" she cried. Able to pull herself away the magnificent sight of Leina's regeneration, Tomoe turned and growled at her. She wanted revenge for almost killing her at the very least.

"Get back here, mercenary!" she snapped. In the blink of an eye, Echidna was on the roof of a nearby building – Keltan hissing madly at Tomoe – and watched Leina burn. She called to her, even though she knew she wouldn't hear anything she said.

"I'll let you go this once, Leina! You're obviously something much more than just a scared little girl! I'm actually excited!" she called out before leaping out of sight, leaving Tomoe alone with the regenerating woman. The energy firing from her body began to fade and slowly Leina's tired expression became visible among the flames. With one final crackle the energy stopped, leaving Leina stumbling around, dazed with faint golden blurs still streaming from her hands. Her eyes barely focussed on what was one foot in front of her, but she did spot the faint red and white colours of Tomoe's kimono. She stopped stumbling and stared ahead of her.

"Tomoe?..."

Right after talking, her eyes rolled back and Leina lifelessly slumped to the ground. Her vision blackened and she felt nothing. She could still hear Tomoe's desperate cries, slowly slipping into nothingness.

"Leina! Leina wake up!...**LEINA!"**

* * *

Even those with the worst hangovers would feel a hundred times better than Leina did as she slowly awoke from her slumber. Her head pounded as if she had gotten into the worst fist fight of her life and _lost_. Her eyes slowly opened, greeted by the soft, pleasant light of the room she found herself in, adding to the comfort of the bed-sheets loosely wrapped around her body. Leina was still too weak to move but she could feel her armour missing from her body replaced by a simple nightgown.

"Ah…My head! Argh…It happened again. Where…where am I?" she thought to herself. She tilted her head to the side, looking around the room as far as she could. It was a small and rather cluttered room, not like a proper bedroom at all. There were cabinets, plates and other random objects. A small table sat nearby with a large sword sitting in the center. On one of the chairs, a long piece of white fabric draped over the back. The sound of running water came from an unknown source, invisible to Leina's eyes.

"Are those Tomoe's clothes?"

A large red skirt had been left carelessly at the foot of a door at the far side of the room along with a small white pair of underwear. Suddenly, a door on the far side of the room began to open causing Leina to quickly close her eyes and feign sleep. She opened them just wide enough so she could see but still seem unconscious. Her guess turned out to be correct.

Tomoe – wearing nothing but a towel around her body – stepped out from the room still dripping wet. She didn't notice Leina was full conscious and instead walked towards the table near the bed – and closer to Leina.

"She does know I'm here, right?" she thought to herself, watching Tomoe fidget with her clothing, "I know, I just won't move a muscle! That way I-"

Her thoughts were suddenly cut off by an unexpected sight. Tomoe unwrapped her towel and started drying her hair, unknowingly exposing her naked body to Leina's eyes. She barely suppressed a blush but the sight made her feel very faint. Leina couldn't register thought, too engrossed in what she saw. She couldn't quite find the power to avert her gaze either. She studied Tomoe's figure closely. Before she decided it couldn't get any more 'awkward' Tomoe dropped her towel to the floor and bent down to pick it up with her back to Leina. She barely stopped herself from making an audible gasp.

"Oh…My…She's shaven down-?! Oh, goodbye consciousness…."

Her eyes went wide, and then fluttered closed, fainting from the sight with two drops of blood slowly dribbling out her nose and a half-smile on her face.

* * *

The second time Leina regained consciousness Tomoe was already by her side – thankfully fully clothed – and smiling. Leina stirred among the covers, her head still pulsing in agony though duller than before. Tomoe clasped one of Leina's hanging hands in her own. They were warm to the touch.

"Thank goodness! You're alive!" she exclaimed happily. Leina mustered a smile, though quickly dropped it noticing the bloodstains on her pillow. Tomoe reached forward with a tissue and wiped the dried blood from under her nose. "I saw you had a nosebleed. You really had me worried for a second there" she added. Leina instantly flashed back to the moment Tomoe dropped her towel and tried her hardest not to show her embarrassment on her face.

"I did see your…well, what did you think would happen?" she thought to herself, trying not to look her in the eye. She rubbed her forehead and gave a pained sigh. Now she could focus on the real questions. "What happened to me? Where am I?"

"You 'regenerated' at least I think that's what happened, going by your description from before. Your body must have responded to the poison - violently, I might add. It even scared away your attacker. How do you feel? Any aches? Any pains?" replied Tomoe. At least her bedside manner was pleasant though it put Leina in mind of an overbearing mother to a child.

"No, I feel just fine. A little bit of a sore head" she replied. Tomoe got up and went across the room towards one of the counters. On it sat a small steaming cup of some unknown drink. "I don't need anything to drink, I'm just fine Lady Tomoe"

"Nonsense, this'll make you feel better. It always helps me when I have an ailment. As for where you are, you're in my hotel room. You must be relieved to have a simple answer for a change, hm?" she asked, bringing the cup back to her. Leina however still had questions. Why would she bother doing so? Why would she go out of her way to help one random screw-up?

"Why did you bring me back?" she asked.

"As an act of kindness of course! But there is more to it than that. You are by far the most intriguing person I've ever met in my life" she replied cheerfully. Leina took note of her rather cryptic reply. Interesting? Such an unusual way to describe someone. Surely she had met someone more interesting than her before?

"I'll take that as a compliment" she said casually. Tomoe handed her the cup with a smile. It was filled to the tip with a steaming green liquid, one Leina did not recognise. "Thanks" she muttered. She gave the cup a sniff, trying to work out what it was. It smelled nice enough. Bravely, she drank it down…and immediately spat it back out in a spray onto her own bed-sheets. It was revolting in every sense of the word, an assault on her sense of taste. Tomoe jerked back, avoiding the spray.

"Eurgh! What is this?!" cried Leina. Tomoe looked with wide, angered eyes at the mess on the bed-sheets, soaked with the contents of the cup.

"It was just a herbal tea from Hinomoto, why did you spit it out?!" she replied in an irritated tone. It was nothing like any tea Leina had ever tasted and personally hoped to never taste it again. She rubbed her tongue, trying to get rid of the taste.

"Tastes like crap!" she answered bluntly.

"Look at this mess!" cried Tomoe. Leina stopped over-reacting and fell silent, seeing how offended she was.

"Sorry…"

Tomoe looked at Leina's half-sorry and half not-so-sorry expression and sighed. She had the body of a young woman but at that moment she had the face of a ten year old. She looked at the mess with tired and passive eyes.

"It's alright, I'll inform the maid of what happened tomorrow morning" she said quietly. Leina couldn't help but laugh at her. If it was Claudette, she'd be scolded for her actions. It simply felt 'strange' to not be told off for something like that.

"…Anyone ever tell you you're very modest?" she asked. Tomoe looked thoughtful for a moment, thinking about her life back in Hinomoto. There was only one other woman who acted like Leina.

"Occasionally"

"Well, you are, haha" she laughed. Tomoe cracked a smile and took the cup back to the counter. As she did, Leina's smile suddenly disappeared as everything that happened to her since she escaped finally got to her. She was being hunted and she had been gone for literally a single day. Echidna almost managed to catch her and the only thing that saved her was Tomoe. If she wasn't there…

"I'm not cut out for this fighting stuff, am I?" asked Leina from the corner of the room. Tomoe turned to see her soft frown.

"What do you mean?"

"That 'Echidna' woman. She was there to take me back to the castle. I should have just let her. I let my guard down – again I might add – I'm hopeless. I can't use a sword, I can't use a shield. If some kid attacked me with a stick, they'd probably take me down" she concluded, hanging her head in shame. Her dream of becoming a great warrior seemed like nothing more than that – just a dream. Tomoe approached her once more and knelt where she lay. Her own mood had changed. There was something about what Leina said that was a direct contradiction to what she initially told her at the café.

"Castle? You told me you lived in a small cottage in the forest…" she replied. Leina's face perked up as she realised her mistake but she knew there was no use trying to hide her lie now. Tomoe decided to question her further, "…Where do you live exactly?"

Leina sucked in her fears and decided to tell all. She sat up in her bed and faced her 'saviour'

"…Fine. If you want the truth…"

Tomoe paid full attention as she spoke.

"…My full name is Leina Vance. I am the daughter to Count Vance and sister to both the Thundercloud General – Claudette and the Captain of the Guard – Elina. I am next in line to become Countess and quite frankly, I'd rather punch myself in the face until I couldn't regenerate instead of taking on such a lousy, boring job" she admitted, looking to the roof in frustration with her identity. Tomoe narrowed her gaze as she took it all in. On the one hand, she was a desperate young woman wanting to make a name for herself. On the other hand she was a selfish individual resistant to responsibilities.

"So you're a run-away…"

"I didn't tell you in case you ratted me out. You know how it is, you meet a stranger and you don't know what their intentions with you are going to be" she admitted. Her words cemented her opinion on Leina. She truly wanted a different life. Leina locked eyes with Tomoe as she spoke. "I wanted to become like my mother, Maria Vance. She was an excellent fighter, one of the best around" she said, her tone dipping. Tomoe picked up on this.

"What happened to her?" she asked. Leina frowned and broke eye-contact.

"You work it out" she hissed. Leina read Tomoe's face as she thought about what happened. She looked confused for a few seconds but suddenly she covered her mouth and jerked back in shock. Leina shook her head and looked away in silence.

"…Ah! I get it now"

"She made it as far as the final round but in the end, she lost…" she replied, trailing off. She fell silent as the memories came back to her. She would never forget that day. "…Killing is allowed but discouraged in the Queen's Blade tournament but tell that to the Queen herself though…what a bitch" she hissed angrily. She viewed the Queen with spite but knew she could never avenge her mother, though if she had the chance she'd beat the Queen within an inch of her life. She got angry just thinking about it. Tomoe inched closer to Leina and spoke quietly.

"I'm sorry, Leina. If I had known I would never have-"

"Don't be sorry. I didn't expect you to know. You have a mission here. No need to concern yourself with me" she sighed. Leina looked to her hands, thinking about her two near-death experiences – two too many for a 'warrior'. Tomoe sat up straight and frowned at her.

"That's where you're wrong" she replied. Leina looked up and cocked a brow.

"What?"

"You have now become my concern and I believe you have been since the second I met you. You should know I personally commissioned for your armour to be repaired. I may have made a few modifications to the design – covering more skin for one –but I demanded that it be done as soon as possible using my title. Being a Warrior Priestess has its benefits believe it or not...You're coming with me as my companion" she announced proudly. Leina's face went pale with shock, though she didn't even hear what she said about her armour. All she heard was "You're coming with me".

"What, what-Yaah!" she cried, falling off the bed in surprise and landing face-first on the wooden floor.

"Leina! Are you ok?" she asked. Leina's limbs went limp, dangling loosely in the air in a comic fashion.

She let out a muffled "Owwwwwwwww…" as Tomoe looked on.

"Leina?"

"I have fallen…and I don't wanna get back up" she muttered back in a tired, slightly muffled voice. Tomoe grabbed her body and pulled her back onto the bed.

"Come on, get up" she grunted. Leina sat on the edge, looking at her with wide and surprised eyes. She still couldn't quite believe what she was just offered. She always imagined that she'd be doing this alone, not with someone's help. "Come with me and hopefully you will fulfil your wish of becoming a fighter like your mother" she added.

"Won't I just be a load on your progress?" asked Leina. She knew she wasn't a powerful fighter like Tomoe, so her inclusion confused her. What use would she have?

"No. I expect you to make yourself a _valuable_ companion on my journey" replied Tomoe with a strict tone. Leina raised a cautious brow and stared up at her. So it wasn't _entirely_ of good will.

"…Thanks?"

"You're welcome"

Tomoe offered her hand to Leina with a kind smile. If Leina was related to what she saw during her vision, she was going to find out what it was. At the same time, Tomoe felt rather attracted to her in the sense she felt the need to be by her side – mostly to make sure she didn't get ambushed again. She wanted Leina as her companion but she had to agree to come with her first.

The prospect was dangerous. Tomoe was far above anything Leina currently was and she knew that by joining her, she'd be throwing herself into danger face first. Would it be worth it?

After several seconds of deep thought, Leina gave a kind smirk and took Tomoe's hand.

"I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship" she said, shaking her hand.

"Hopefully, you're correct" replied Tomoe. It was decided, the two would travel together to Gainos. While their intentions were different, they agreed to be the best they can be to each other. However Tomoe had one unfinished thought she felt needed to be addressed. She looked deep into Leina's eyes.

"…I see courage in your eyes" she said quietly. Leina's eyelids lowered and she gave a short sigh.

"Oh, _**this**_ again?" she muttered, deadpan. However Tomoe remained serious.

"Listen to me. I see courage and your desires. I know you are not one to give up" she replied.

"I just said I didn't think I could fight" said Leina, but Tomoe silenced her, still staring deep.

"But did you _mean_ it?" she asked. Leina thought about it for a brief period.

"I see beauty" she said again, causing Leina to giggle.

"Honestly, are you coming onto me?" she asked playfully. Tomoe blushed and cleared her throat. Her attitude was starting to get on her nerves.

"Y-You know what I mean"

"Man, for a Warrior Priestess you are easy to tease" she joked. Tomoe looked deeper into her eyes and frowned. Something in them frightened her. Swallowing her pride, she told the truth.

"…And I see fury" she muttered. Leina's smile faded as she frowned.

"…What?" she asked.

"I see such anger, such burning hatred deep inside you. I don't wish to ask why this might be the case, but I can only hope you can keep this deep-seated rage inside" replied Tomoe. This new piece of information was unwelcome. Leina was hardly ever angry with anyone. She tried to convince herself that maybe Tomoe had misread her but she seemed like the sort of person who knew what she was talking about. Just like that, Tomoe knew more about Leina than Leina herself knew and that fact alone disturbed her. Why was she afraid to tell her in the first instance?

"…Me and you both"


	11. 10: Wine and Ale

**Three Days after the Black Mountain Incident**

Between the large, dense forests and endless grassy plains of the mainland lay the small villages normally hidden from sight, generally home to travellers and those who desire a simple life away from the busier areas of the continent. One of these villages was usually a quiet one no matter the occasion. A middle-aged man walked the empty streets of the village, watching his breath flow out into the cool air. The moon was whole and bright and the air was still yet unusually cold for a summer night. Most would be in their homes or in the local pub.

"Oi! Jonathan!"

Another man shouted from across the road with the widest and dopiest grin on his face. Along with his stumbling walk and random giggling at nothing, it became clear to Jonathan that he had something to drink. But it wasn't a problem.

"Alright Terry, how's tricks?" he asked. Terry placed his hand on his old friend and pointed down the street to an illuminated building. Random people were scattered by the entrance, laughing and drinking with glee.

"Not bad but hey, you fancy a drink at the pub? There is a lively atmosphere there tonight, mate!" he said enthusiastically. Jonathan could barely believe what he was seeing and screwed his face up.

"What, Ol' Greg's Pub?"

"Yeah! C'mon!"

"You sure you got the right pub? Ol' Greg's is good but it's pretty quiet" he replied. After living there for several years, he had yet to see the pub as packed as Terry was implying.

"Wait till you see this! There's this woman, singing and dancing on the tables, doing all these brilliant tricks with fire! It's amazing!"

* * *

There wasn't a single chair left empty inside Old Greg's Pub, though that didn't stop people piling in for a drink and a laugh with old friends. The wooden ground was soaked with spilled ale and wine but nobody cared for the mess. The air was filled with drunken shouts, idle conversation and mad laughter with everyone cheerfully swallowing down drink after drink. Around one table, the noises were louder than the rest. The onlookers gazed with smiles as an unknown young woman in steel armour danced on the table playing a violin with the biggest, cheerful smile and her face, laughing and singing as she played. The customers clapped their hands in rhythm of the music, sang along or simply chanted her name.

"Leina! Leina! Leina!"

Leina kept playing near-perfectly all the while jumping from table to table to spread as much joy as she could. People cheered for her music and enjoyed her singing. She didn't care where she stepped, much to the annoyances of some of the drinkers. Occasionally, she'd contribute to the puddles on the ground by knocking a tankard to the ground.

"Oi! Watch my pint!" cried one man as her dancing boots veered dangerously towards him. Leina closed her eyes and focussed her attention on the end of the song, subconsciously drinking in the cheering around her with a wide toothy grin. Finishing her song with one swift note, Leina panted as the crowds cheered her ending. She knelt down and took a long swig from her own drink adding to her own drunkenness. Despite clearly stumbling, she didn't allow her intoxication to slow her down. With booze dribbling down her chin, she laughed loudly along with the crowd. Life didn't get much better than this.

"Give us another one!" cried one man. The people around him joined him in his demands. Before long, Leina had a most of the pub crying her name. Was this what it was like to be a hero? Leina smiled and readied up her violin.

"Well alllllright then!" she slurred her words with the ale quickly going to her head. She began playing a slow but very punchy medley that got the crowd drawn to her. After a minute of playing, she started singing loudly to the crowd. She didn't believe she could sing that well but nobody was telling her to stop.

"_Standing here, I realize…"_

While Leina began singing to the crowd, her partner, or more accurately her 'accomplice', sat at the bar, watching her with lowered eyes and a soft smile. Tomoe sipped away at her beverage, laughing when Leina laughed and enjoying her music. "Hah, that girl. She has more energy than everyone in this pub combined. Hehehe…Maybe she drives me to drink. I never usually get tipsy" she thought to herself, noticing that was swaying from side-to-side in her seat.

*HIC!*

With one loud hiccup, she became fully alert to her true condition.

"I think I'm beyond tipsy at this point"

Accepting her drunkenness, she continued watching Leina play away on the table. She was more drunk than she let on, despite her fast placed and near-perfect playing.

"…_When our guard is down I think we'll both agree!..." _she bellowed to the crowd, eying up Tomoe in the process. With a small wink, she continued singing.

"_Viiiiiolence breeds viiiiolence…"_

"Another sake, ma'am?"

Tomoe turned back to the barman, letting Leina's singing fade away. The barman was an older gentlemen with soft features but a tall stature. He was kind enough to allow Leina to do what she did despite the fact that in the process, booze was constantly spilled to the floor.

"Please" she replied. The barman immediately got to work preparing it for her.

"You know your girlfriend is the best thing to happen to this place in a long time! I've never seen this many customers at once. It's not even happy hour!" he said excitedly while eying up the large pile of coins behind the counter. Tomoe didn't seem to be giving him her full attention.

"She's not my, you know, what you said…What did you say she was?" she asked.

"Girlfriend?"

"Yes, not that. She's my…companion" she replied, staring at the ceiling in thought. The barman shrugged and continued talking.

"Well she's a miracle in steel. As thanks, I'd like to offer you both my best room for the night, on the house!" he said, handing Tomoe a room key. She drunkenly stared at it for a few moments before opening her eyes slightly wider in surprise, taking the key. An older woman joined her at the bar.

"Bartender! Gimme some more of that fancy Sake stuff!" she asked.

"Certainly ma'am!" he said, handing Tomoe her cup. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered "You know, they see a Warrior Priestess drinking that stuff and suddenly it's classy"

Tomoe grinned sheepishly and spun round in her chair to face Leina. Her song was coming to an end as she bellowed out the last lyrics with the crowd roaring along with her. Tomoe whistled towards her to grab her attention but among the laughter and cheering, her calls fell on unhearing ears.

"Heeey! Leina! Leina?!"

Sighing, Tomoe pulled out a card from her kimono and threw it at Leina's head. The card zipped past her face, barely missing her braid and smashed through a glass mug full of ale and into the wall behind it. The commotion stopped Leina dead and the crowd went silent.

"What the-" she asked. Tomoe waved at her.

"Leina! We got a room!" she cried. Leina's grin went as wide as her face would allow as she screamed at the crowd around her.

"WE GOT A ROOM!" she shrieked randomly, earning more cheers from the crowd as she threw her arms high. Her joy was cut short as she lost her footing. "OH SH-" she shouted, falling off the table and crashing to the floor with a metal clang. The crowd look down as suddenly, her arm shot up to the air.

"I'M OK!"

**A few hours later**

With an arm around each other's shoulders and laughing randomly, Leina and Tomoe stumbled into their room for the night with smiles on their faces and booze in their systems. Tomoe tossed her sword noisily to the floor upon entering, leaving Leina to drunkenly take another swig from a bottle of wine. Both were considerably more intoxicated than when they got the key in the first place. It was late, everyone had left and now they were alone to drunkenly go to sleep themselves. For a moment, Tomoe forgot she was there for a proper reason.

"Woo! This ish living! I've nevah got to expurience stuff liek 'dis before!" slurred Leina, taking another drink from the bottle. Tomoe span round and eyed her up with a raised eyebrow.

"You're drunk" she replied. Leina giggled and knelt in close.

"So are youuuu" she replied, giggling. Tomoe tried to stand up straight in defiance but immediately stumbled to the side.

"Where did you learn how to play the violin?"

"Oooooh, I was taught when I was young. It's a stupid part of being the next Countess. I don't know anything 'bout that crap"

Leina looked around the room, failing to take note of anything in particular except its large size and the very big bed near the bedroom window.

"Oh hey, a double bed" she said. Tomoe began to giggle uncharacteristically like a schoolgirl upon seeing the bed, earning a look from Leina. "What's so funny?" she asked. Tomoe turned to her with a small blush.

"The barman thought we were couple, that's all" she replied. Leina chuckled to herself and covered her face with her hands. The atmosphere would have otherwise been painfully awkward if she wasn't already drunk. Tomoe joined her in laughing, motioning her towards the bed. "Ah well, you take the bed, I'll take the-"

"Nope!"

Leina grabbed Tomoe by the arm and pulled her onto the bed. The two fell onto each other, laughing wildly with Leina's wine spilling onto the bed sheets but neither noticed or cared. Tomoe pushed herself off Leina and looked down at her with a small smirk.

"Or not, I guess" she muttered. Leina giggled and pulled her head close with a devious grin.

"We're a couple apparently" she whispered, pushing her away with another giggle. Anything was funny to her. Leina lay on one side of the bed, inviting Tomoe to lie on the other side. Reluctantly, she did so. They both looked at each other, a hand resting on their pillows. For a while, it was like they weren't drunk. After a few moments of silence, Leina spoke up.

"Hoooow long have you- I mean we - been travelling together now. About a week?" she asked, trying her hardest not to slur her words.

"Give or take, yeah" she replied. Leina looked deep in thought.

"…A week away from home…I wonder what they're doin' now"

"Who?" asked Tomoe. Leina shifted closer to Tomoe, feeling more comfortable.

"My sisters. They like to throw a fit whenevah I go missing and get hysterical, especially Elina. Sheeeee has always been…close to me. Sometimes too close but it's better than being distant like Claudette" she said in a low and tired tone as memories of her childhood and teenage years filled her mind. Tomoe gave Leina her complete attention. "You know what she's like. She's demanding, she's strict…but I've always loved her either way. She's just always so distant…" she went on. She fell silent for a moment, thinking about Claudette. She knew exactly why Claudette always seemed so distant and always felt so sorry for her. She sighed and looked back at Tomoe. "But what about you, Tomoe? Don't you have a family?" she asked. Tomoe's expression sank and her eyebrows furrowed. Nervously, she broke eye-contact and stared at the ceiling.

"Well everyone has their secrets, don't they?" she replied. Leina studied her face, realising her reluctance as odd as it seemed.

"…I guess so"

"Come on, I think it's time we got some sleep" said Tomoe, lying down on her back, facing away from Leina.

"Aw, but I wanna drink some more" moaned Leina. She never got to get drunk and now she was she wanted to keep it going and without the possibility of dying from alcohol poisoning, now was as good a time as any.

"Tough" muttered Tomoe with a smile, closing her eyes. Giving up, Leina tried to find a comfortable spot on her pillow, hitting her head against it. No matter what though, she had no joy. It's lumpy feeling was nothing compared to her own bed – the thing she missed the most from home.

"Stupid pillows. Not fluffy enough, damn-" she muttered quietly to herself. She looked at Tomoe with a jealous stare. She managed to find comfort so why couldn't she? Maybe she had the better pillow. However looking down Tomoe's body, Leina got an idea that in her intoxicated mind seemed like a brilliant one.

"Hey Tomoe?" she asked. Tomoe didn't open her eyes.

"Hm?"

"Im'ma use your boobs as a pillow, m'kay?" said with a 'matter-of-fact' tone. Tomoe shrugged.

"Ok…Wait, what?"

Just as she spoke, Leina lay her head comfortably on her right breast with a smile. She faced the ceiling and finally closed her eyes with a blissful sigh while Tomoe's arms twitched up with surprise. A blush formed on her face.

"Aaaah…much better. Sooooooft pillow" slurred Leina, nuzzling the back of her head into Tomoe's warm body. Putting her arms back down, Tomoe awkwardly lay there without a single idea as to how to continue.

"Well, this is now happening" she thought to herself. She expected to look down and find Leina looking back at her with a flirtatious glint in her eye but instead she just lay with closed eyes and a cute smile on her face. Her blush subsided and Tomoe allowed her to rest her head on her chest, a move she would otherwise have denied. In the silence, Leina spoke quietly.

"I'm glad we're friends, Tomoe"

Tomoe snapped her head down at Leina while she fell asleep immediately after talking, watching her with the same smile. She said nothing in return. They had only known each other for such a short time and already they were close. Either that or the alcohol made them feel more chummy than usual.

Tomoe simply closed her eyes and grinned while softly holding Leina's stray hand in her own.


	12. 11: Divine Knowledge

As the clouds covered the night sky, Adstir became as silent as the dead. Virtually every single house, shop, stall and pub was quiet and dark. Not even the moon brightened the world below - hidden by the night clouds. From above, Adstir was invisible, merging with the rest of the landscape. However high in the clouds a small light moved along in the sky – not the light from the moon but a supernatural blue glow. The light danced in the sky before suddenly bursting through the bottom layer of clouds…spluttering and coughing in the air loudly.

The young girl cleared her throat and wiped her white dress of any clinging pieces of the clouds. Her wings fluttered slowly in the air keeping her afloat above the town – one bigger than the other. She looked down the blackened town and sighed loudly while shaking her head.

"Urgh...why is it always me that gets the stupid jobs? Having to interact with the human world? This sucks! I'm an angel! Not a clerk!"

Nanael – finally accepting her job – fluttered down towards the town, aiming for the derelict marketplaces. Her natural glow lit up the streets and roads around her in a soft blue light. Her mission was simple – supposedly – but all it did for Nanael was remind her of her annoyance with the human race. It wasn't the first time she had visited the world below the heavens but she always hoped each one would be the last.

"Humans, always so…simple. Yeah, I have wings. One is bigger than the other, so what? Bun'cha drama queens" she muttered to herself. She stalked the roads, looking for some sign of what she was looking for. Her mission was to investigate an sudden influx of supernatural energy down on the human world but Nanael wasn't told what kind of power it was. It could be evil for all she knew and if it was she wasn't exactly prepared. While complaining, she stopped and looked up to the sky. "The Head Angel can probably hear me complain…SORRY MA'AM!" she cried to the sky. The thought of angering the Head Angel - her 'boss' - terrified her to no end.

"The last thing I want is to be banished to Hades….Brrr, so much nope"

After a few minutes of walking around Adstir's empty streets, she came across something unnatural. She looked to the ground to find a single pair of footsteps glowing on the ground with an extremely faint pink hue. The footsteps lead down the road towards a particularly dark segment of the area. She shrugged with a sigh before following after the steps, muttering under her breath.

"Surely there are some lower ranked angels than can handle stuff like this?...Unless I am the lowest ranked. In that case, I demand a promotion for all the hard work I do. I mean it's not like I nap on the job…that often"

The steps led down a dark alleyway where rats scuttled on the drains along the walls. Nanael ignored them and focussed all her attention on the footsteps. She didn't know who they belonged to but her interest in finding out was starting to peak. Turning a corner, she found an unusual sight. The footsteps suddenly stopped and stood before a very small orb of light floating at the center of a tall wall with a single crack in it. The orb itself didn't light up the surrounding area as the both the footsteps and the orb only existed in Nanael's mind as part of her abilities. She grinned and focussed her eyes on the orb, crossing her arms.

"Now, let's have a look-see…" she said as her green eyes began to glow. In a soft flash of light the world around her changed, all suddenly much brighter than before. Nanael turned to the footsteps she had followed and watched as a person formed on them. The image was a young woman with long hair, clutching a blade. Her image was coloured with the same pink tone and her face was frozen in a worried expression. Nanael only looked at her briefly as the main attraction – the orb of light – had transformed into a massive golden explosion of fiery energy, frozen in time.

"Woah, now what have we hear? This is like a firework! Now, let's see…"

Nanael walked through the pink woman and towards the frozen explosion. The warm golden streaks of energy flowed over her skin harmlessly as she approached the cause of the blast. She looked in close to the core to find a human figure standing with its arms stretched out to the sides and its head aimed at the sky. The figure's arms and head were bursting with energy, making her face difficult to make out. Nanael looked in close to the figure.

"Hmm, this is a lot of energy. Cause of regeneration…unknown? I don't see any injuries on her. No fresh blood and no internal problems" she remarked, looking closely at the woman's appearance. Despite her cracked armour, there wasn't a single sign of a struggle or a fatal wound and yet the pained expression on her face said otherwise. Nanael looked round and noticed for the first time the _third_ figure standing among them. The third woman was taller, slightly more muscular, had elven ears and was dressed even worse than the regenerating one. However Nanael spotted the snake wrapped around the woman's waist and looked closely at its fangs. Blood still stained them. It didn't take Nanael long to work out what happened.

"Must have been a poisonous bite, but humans aren't supposed to regenerate from fatal injuries. Unless this is…Huh" she muttered. With a finger to her chin, her eyes stopped glowing and the frozen images vanished from Nanael's sight. She cast a hand towards the orb and it quickly disappeared along with the footsteps. However a new trail reappeared in its absence, the same colour as the last. Curious, Nanael started to follow it.

The footsteps went on for a long time, leading down various streets and alleyways. They appeared to be running as well. Eventually, Nanael followed them to a large building – a hotel. She wasn't prepared to enter however – invisibility was not one of her abilities. Instead, Nanael took flight to try and catch a peek inside one of the windows. Some were still illuminated.

Nanael took a look inside one window to find a young man alone in his room asleep. Nanael stared at him as he slept.

"Heh, I wonder what he's dreaming about" she chuckled before moving on. Inside another window Nanael found a woman writing in a book. She wasn't a fighter or anything special so she didn't pay much attention. On the third window, Nanael peeked inside…and immediately looked away with a blush on her face.

"Ok, now that was just obscene" she said under her breath. She took a few more guilty glances inside but dragged herself away under the impression that it was 'harming her angelic image'. She flew up to the highest floor and looked into the room. On the bed lay a young woman with blonde hair and kneeling at the bedside with her head resting on the bed was another woman with long black hair – both fast asleep. Nanael looked closely before coming to a conclusion.

"Hm…that's the women from the projection. Looks like the one with black hair is looking after the one with blonde hair" she thought aloud. She looked further into the room, spotting a sword lying on the table. This made Nanael grin widely. "Hehe…She's a fighter! Maybe the other one is a fighter as well! Perhaps these two will be my chance to cause a Queen's Blade battle at last! Oh Nanael, you smart cookie!...I could really go some cookies actually" she said, losing thought. With that she flew away from the hotel and into the sky awaiting daylight. She had plans…

* * *

**The Following Morning**

"I honestly don't know why you had to add this much to the armour. It's so heavy!"

"The old design was not going to protect you. It was also fairly immodest"

As the sun had barely risen over the mountains of the mainland, Adstir slowly awoke from the night. However some were more awake than others. On the outskirts of the town, Leina and Tomoe would have set off much earlier if it wasn't for the bickering between them. After getting her new armour fresh from the blacksmiths, Leina had a number of complaints to make – namely the _massive_ weight. She shifted her bigger and much tighter breast-plate around, trying to find a comfortable spot. Tomoe crossed her arms, impatiently waiting for her to finish adjusting.

"Immodest? Do you even wear anything under that kimono?!" she argued back.

"It fits you better, doesn't it?" she asked, deliberately dodging the question. The additions to her armour included new pads and plates which protected her legs, waist and her bottom, the later amused Leina. Her gauntlets had become bigger, shinier and sharper looking like Leina had grown claws and while she still had belts wrapped around her left arm, small shoulder pads covered more skin. Finally her breast-plate was made stronger, thicker and more-formfitting.

"Well…yeah, but still, it seems tighter. I had better hope to some holy deity I don't put on weight" she muttered. Because it hugged her body tighter, the breast-plate pushed her breasts up against her body in an uncomfortable way. While reduced, her exposed cleavage was still a problem. Far above them, Nanael hovered in the sky watching with a knowing smirk.

"So the second one is a fighter! I should try to follow them at a distance, see if they get to somewhere nice and secluded…" she thought to herself with a plan in mind. She found Leina's choice of armour only slightly less bizarre than the woman with a snake for a thong. Tomoe picked up a small rucksack full of supplies and hoisted it over her shoulder.

"Remember you must repay your debt in some way, Leina, so let us begin our journey to Gainos" she announced, watching Leina pick up two massive sacks and throw them over her shoulder. She wheezed as the weight put pressure on her body immediately. She turned to Tomoe with a weary and very questioning expression.

"…And why am I carrying just about everything? Did I mention the fact I'm already wearing several slabs of metal on my goddamn chest?! Or is my armour invisible?!" she snapped. Tomoe began walking, ignoring Leina's complaints.

"You'll get stronger with the extra weight" she replied dismissively. Leina silently snarled, feeling her back start to hurt. Inside her blood was starting to get hot.

"…I friggin' better, Lady Tomoe" she hissed, following her. At last their journey had begun but neither would expect such a rocky start. Nanael laughed, following after them just out of sight.

"Ooooh, tension! This should be easy!"

* * *

After a short while, the duo had broken through the last remains of civilisation and out into nature at its purest. The cool breeze swept across their faces and the sun gently heat up the world below. Leina on the other hand was sweating under the stress of the supplies while Tomoe walked on without a care in the world. Leina's body hurt all over and her regeneration abilities were not helping her get by either. Desperately she wanted to regenerate but wasn't willing to almost-kill herself.

Not just yet.

"Hah…so, uh…How long will it take us to get to Gainos?" she asked, trying to make small talk with her new 'partner'. Tomoe didn't turn to face her and instead kept her eyes on her map.

"Judging by this map, it should take us at least a week or so of straight walking, assuming nothing comes up" she replied. Leina's jaw almost hit the floor.

"A WEEK?!" she cried out loud. Tomoe stopped and waited for Leina to join her at her side. Over time, she had grown tired of Leina's attitude.

"Stop complaining. You agreed to come with me" she said sternly. Leina crossed her arms and looked into the distance with a frown.

"Well I had to, didn't I? You repaired my armour" she replied.

"That doesn't mean you had to come with me"

Leina's frown loosened up and she looked back at her. It was only on certain occasions she saw Tomoe in a more 'casual' mind.

"What?"

"I repaired your armour because I wanted to. You're free to leave at any time" she replied with the smallest smiles. Leina fell silent. The bags on her back could be on the ground and she could be free to wander the world on her own like she always wanted. Nobody would tell her what to do and she would have no responsibilities to adhere to. However despite these wishes, something about Tomoe drew Leina to her.

Maybe it was because she was a fighter and Leina looked up to her.

Maybe she believed she would learn something from the experience and become a better fighter.

Maybe it was because Tomoe was rather attractive.

"Or maybe it's all the above…" she thought to herself, looking back at her. After a few agonizing seconds of silence, Leina shook her head and repositioned the bags on her back. "No, I'll stay with you. It wouldn't be right" she replied. Tomoe's smile widened.

"Well, I'm glad!"

Above them, Nanael hovered slowly with her hands resting on her cheeks like she was leaning on a bed with her head held up. She cheerful expression had long gone and already she had gotten tired of the two humans.

"Oh for the love of my boss's boss, these two aren't gonna fight each other, are they? One's too passive and the other is a noob. Urgh…"

Unaware of Nanael's sulking, Leina and Tomoe continued on side-by-side. While the surrounding landscape was beautiful to look at, the silence was extremely awkward. Trying to break the ice, Leina made another attempt at small-talk.

"Soooo…been a warrior priestess all your life?" she asked coyly.

"Yes, since a young age. What about you?" she asked back. Leina sighed as the thoughts of being Countess returned.

"Pfft, nothing like that. I want you to picture the dullest thing you possibly can…and then throw it away, because being a Countess is worse" she joked, earning a light laugh from Tomoe. For the first time since they woke up, the two were smiling together.

"I couldn't have been that bad. You make it sound like you had to get up early in the morning for lessons"

"I DID" replied Leina painfully. Nanael rolled her eyes and groaned loudly.

"Well aren't these two just the textbook definition of joy? Well looks like I'm gonna be with them for some time…Hopefully something interesting will come from them, like I dunno, maybe they're both gay or something. Maybe one is a man!" she muttered randomly, not even paying attention to what she was actually saying.

"Actually, I've meant to ask. When you saved me, you threatened to kill that man. You didn't mean it, did you?" asked Leina. Tomoe looked to the sky in thought. It was the first time someone questioned her ability to kill.

"Of course I did" she replied bluntly. Leina cocked an eyebrow and her face tensed. She eyed up her sword.

"…Have you killed before?"

"Numerous times" she replied again. Leina couldn't help but imagine Tomoe slicing her enemies to pieces in the blink of an eye with blood spilling to the ground. This young woman was technically a murderer and she just put herself in her company.

"…Wow, ok then" she muttered quietly.

"Does that bother you?" she asked, not turning to view Leina's pale face.

"A little, I mean, I think it's wrong to kill someone, even in self-defence" she replied. This made Tomoe review Leina's potential as a 'warrior'. She didn't really expect to fight and survive in the world without killing anyone, did she? Was that even possible?

"So if I attacked you, you wouldn't kill me?" asked Tomoe. The thought had never engrained itself in Leina's mind until now.

"No"

"Interesting" she replied, stopping and turning to Leina with a casual expression, "Because if the situation were reversed, I would have killed you"

Leina stopped dead in her tracks and watched Tomoe walk on with a furrowed brow. She didn't really just admit she would kill her without thought, did she? At that moment, Leina didn't feel so safe around Tomoe, despite the fact she had no reason to hurt her. But the idea that this seemingly gentle-looking and rather kind young woman could murder another human being without regret deeply troubled her. Shivering in her skin she walked after Tomoe, despite her brain telling her not to as Nanael watched on with a raised brow and a thoughtful gaze.


	13. 12: Seeing Things

**(A/N: MASSIVE thanks to Shadow0Fire for taking the time to beta-read and greatly improve this chapter. I should really do something about the earlier chapters as well)**

* * *

My apologies, General, but we have not had time to clean the room. If we had known you were coming…"

"It's quite alright. I actually think I'd prefer it this way. Tell me, who last used this room?"

The sun had already begun its descent from the heavens, and it's ambient glow bathed the world in an orange hue. Standing in the doorway of a hotel room in Astir, Claudette glanced over everything within, from the unkempt bed to the empty plates on the table. The previous tenants had apparently left in a hurry. The owner of the hotel stood behind her, nervously rubbing his hands together. Claudette was a giant in comparison to himself as she easily towered over him.

"Two young women ma'am. One 'Lady Tomoe' and one 'Leina Clarke.'" he replied. Claudette looked at him with a raised brow.

"…Leina Clarke?"

"Yes ma'am." he whimpered, feeling inadequate under her gaze. Claudette let out a frustrated sigh, and with it, her massive sword crackled with electricity, causing the man behind her to jump back in fright. Ignoring his cowardice, Claudette walked into the room with thunderous intent.

"You may be excused." she muttered. Needing no further persuasion, the hotel owner quickly left her presence. Now alone, Claudette further examined her surroundings, but was more interested in the woman Leina had been staying with. She didn't expect someone to actually aid her in her escape. This was the first time in what must have been countless escape attempts such a thing had happened. Walking towards the open windowand feeling the hot wind on her face, Claudette mulled over Leina's previous escapades.

_I wish I could say this was the only time you've tried to escape Leina... But it's not. You've run away one night, attempted to swim away another; even bribery wasn't beneath you... and there was that time you used cutlery in your escape. God knows how you got that to work in the first place._

She thought to herself, finding a moment to grin at some of Leina's more 'questionable' moments. Her smile faded once memories of two nights ago returned in full. All of that damage, along with Elina's crying and the wrath of her father, made Claudette's blood boil.

_Eleven people died that night, Leina, and not all of them were our guards. Some were innocent civilians. Add to that the damage to the castle, and the constant and never-ending grief from your family...you'll have hell to pay for using what happened as an excuse to run away again._

Claudette stared out to the streets of Astir, hoping she might see Leina among its mulling citizens. She closed her eyes and thought back to her younger years, although even then she was Leina's mentor in everything she knew.

* * *

"But won't one of the maids do this for me?"

"Of course they will, but that's not the point. Nobody should see the Countess' bed if it's not made!"

Claudette crossed her arms and looked on as her young sister sighed. Claudette was growing into a teenager but around Leina she was a stand-in parent to a child.

"…Ok."

"…Listen to me, Leina, you're going to be the Countess someday" replied Claudette. Leina looked up at her, with her large innocent eyes.

"It could just as easily be you instead, couldn't it?"

"…I-…Hm…"

* * *

"Why hello there, Thundercloud General. Fancy meeting you here."

Claudette came back to reality and spun around to find another figure standing in the doorway. Echidna leaned against the door with the same cocky smirk she wore when they first met, and yet the sight of her snake coiled around her groin was just as repulsive, if not more so, than their first encounter. Claudette tried desperately not to look at the reptile, but keeping eye contact with Echidna was just as disconcerting. The insufferable woman always had a seductive look in her eyes making her squirm. Claudette crossed her arms and glared at her.

"I see you completely failed your mission. You were supposed to stop her." she growled. Echidna shrugged and shook her head.

"Well, here's the thing. I actually did see your sister, and I did stop her…" she said slowly, enjoying Claudette's growing impatience. "But I'm afraid I had to let her go."

"You let her go?! What were you thinking?!" she roared. Unfazed, Echidna remained calm and collected as Claudette clenched her fists. Sensing hostility towards his mistress, Keltan hissed quietly to himself.

"Tell me Thundercloud General, what made you believe Leina was alive in the first place? In that explosion, she could have easily been reduced to nothing more than a black stain on the ground. You would never have noticed, so why did you bother?" she asked. Claudette said nothing and allowed her to make her point, whatever it was.

"Your little sister – as adorable as she is – has a hidden power, something you weren't aware of."

"Hidden power?"

"I'm not sure how, but after being bitten by Keltan here, she resisted the poison and got away with some warrior priestess." she revealed, stroking Keltan's head lovingly. Claudette's eyes went wide and her glare intensified, although it had no effect on Echidna.

"You tried to poison her?!" she screamed in anger. Echidna shook her finger and tutted her, serving only to infuriate Claudette even more. Claudette knew Echidna was cocky and unpredictable, but she never thought she'd make an attempt on the life of her sister.

"Oh no no no, I didn't want to kill your sister, merely paralyze her…and maybe have some fun. But I'd say my intentions were otherwise perfectly innocent." she said with a shrug. Claudette growled loudly before turning round and looking out the window. She was close to attacking Echidna herself out of frustration.

"Get out of my sight, mercenary." she hissed, digging her nails into the wooden windowsill. However, instead of heeding her warning, Echidna crossed her arms and slowly walked towards Claudette, trying to see through the cloak obscuring her view of Claudette's figure.

"Why not let her go?" she asked innocently.

"What?"

"I mean, we both know you'd be far more successful as Countess than Leina would be. Why not just allow her to live out her fantasy?"

"Get out." hissed Claudette with a sharp tone. Echidna's grin grew wider until she was showing some teeth.

"You know I'm right. You're stronger, more mature, and God knows more intelligent that her. You'd be a great aristocrat. But no, just because you're a bastard your dear father would never allow you to acknowledge your own existence." she taunted. Claudette began to growl and grind her teeth as every one of Echidna's smooth words entered her mind and tortured her brain until she gave in to her anger.

"_I said __**get out!**_"

With a scream loud enough to scare the birds around the window, Claudette spun round, grabbed her sword from her back, and threw it like a massive dagger straight at Echidna's head. The green-haired elf effortlessly dodged her sword and watched as it embedded itself deep into the wall behind her and out the other end into the hallway with a loud crash.

Claudette stared at her sword, breathing heavily out of rage. To her annoyance, Echidna didn't appear intimidated at all. If anything, she appeared to be amused by her outburst. Nevertheless, she got the message, and with an arrogant smirk, turned and walked towards the door, swaying her hips with each step.

"Well, when you put it like that..."

Before she left the room, Echidna stopped and turned to face Claudette, who still gave her a death glare. "Bear this in mind, Thundercloud General. I'll be keeping up with your sister. But if you want to bring her back, that's your job, and yours alone." She said with a sudden sincere tone. Without another word, she left the room and disappeared around the corner.

Still enraged, Claudette turned back to the window and slammed her hands down on the windowsill. Looking out to the world with the same cold stare, she pictured Leina in her head and vowed to bring her back: nothing would stand in her way.

* * *

In the secluded forests of the mainland, Tomoe sat alone by a warm fire bathed in both its light and the moon's silver glow. Despite meditating, her facial expression was not peaceful or even neutral. Instead, Tomoe wore a disgusted frown as she focused on her environment. With a deep breath, she visualized her surroundings with the same vivid detail as before. She heard the crickets in the surrounding trees. She could detect the sleeping woodland animals, hearing each one of their tiny breaths. But before she could focus on anything else, she became very aware of the sound of vomit hitting the ground in the brush behind her.

"Leina, are you done yet?" she called back, eying up the mushroom at her side with a single bite taken out of it. It didn't look poisonous, but a single bite had sickened Leina almost instantly.

Leina tried to call back, but was interrupted by more vomiting.

"Do I sound like I'm do-"

Tomoe shook her head and looked to the night sky, enthralled by the moon and the single star hovering next to it. After walking for hours and putting up with Leina's constant complaining, she felt like she was finally making real progress on her journey to Gainos. She only wished she had chosen a more capable companion – one that wouldn't choose a random mushroom and eat it for no discernible reason.

Leina eventually emerged from the brush looking extremely worse for wear, with frazzled hair and sunken eyes. Aside from the lingering nausea, she felt like she had walked for day without stopping. Her legs ached, her body felt heavy, and her armor chafed against her bare skin, making her breastplate torture to wear. She stared at Tomoe as she spoke, although it looked as though the blond didn't really see the woman at all.

"Tomoe, I am seeing some crazy stuff right now... colors of every shade, I can smell them I can smell colors, I can-"

"Leina, are you OK?" asked Tomoe, interrupting her mad ramblings. Leina suddenly launched herself at her, wrapping her arms around Tomoe and hugging her tight with a look of fear. Tomoe tried to push her off. "Leina! What has gotten into you?!" she cried. Leina didn't look at her, instead staring off to the right as she buried her head into Tomoe's side.

"I can see them and I won't let them get to you!" she cried. Tomoe raised a brow and looked off in the same direction.

"See what?"

"The little goblins…"

"I've seriously had enough of your behavior, Leina!" growled Tomoe, shoving her to the ground with a thud. "Honestly, what would you have done if I wasn't here? Sing about how everything will be alright? That wouldn't do you much good out here." she lectured. Leina lay still, facing away from Tomoe, saying nothing to her. She couldn't say anything that would defend herself or call her out. She was right.

Defeated – and very high – Leina curled up into a ball and began whimpering and shivering. Tomoe watched with a low gaze, feeling nothing for the woman. Was this the best Leina could offer? She spoke of becoming a great fighter, but all she was fighting right now was food poisoning.

However, Tomoe stopped and looked at herself. What was she doing to help? Not a damn thing. She believed she was virtuous and kind but all she did was berate Leina for all her troubles. Even now she just threw her to the ground when she needed her help the most. Sighing, Tomoe got up and sat in front of her, catching her attention.

"Hush now. Just calm down, Leina." she whispered softly. Leina's whimpers died down and her shaking slowed but she was still in a state of panic. Tomoe smiled and lightly touched her face, feeling her warm glow. She didn't know why she felt the need to do so, but it felt right. Tomoe hummed a soft melody – the same one from the hotel – as she lightly stroked Leina's cheek, feeling like a parent.

Leina let out a sigh and as she did, her face began to glow. Tomoe jerked her hand back and looked to her hands. They were also starting to glow gold. Panic began setting in.

"Leina, it's happening again." she warned sternly. Leina smiled and let out another sigh.

"No, it feels…different this time. Not painful in the slightest." she replied with a soft smirk. "Thank you, by the way."

"What for?"

"This. You're right, I would be a wreck if you weren't here."

"Think nothing of it." replied Tomoe with a friendly smirk. She again felt Leina's face and with it the golden glow. It was hot – very hot – to the touch, almost to the point of burning. Tomoe never gave much thought to what was actually happening to Leina. She just accepted it in the same way that the Kouma were capable of transformation. However, there was something else to her powers. The vision she saw back on Hinomoto contained the image of a woman with fire bursting from her head and arms. If that was also her, Tomoe came to the conclusion that the voice was leading her to Leina the entire time. But for what purpose?

"MAKE WAY!"

From the sky at speeds even Tomoe was unprepared for, a blue haired girl barged Tomoe out of the way and leaned in uncomfortably close to Leina's face, whose eyes went wide with fright. Tomoe quickly picked herself up off the floor and reached for her sword but froze when she got a good look at the intruder.

"An angel!?" she cried out.

"So it's true! A regenerating human! I've never seen this before!" said Nanael, ignoring Tomoe's cries of distress. Leina stared up at her, saying nothing but in her mind asking herself questions. Tomoe pulled Nanael off her.

"Leave her alone! She's very ill!"

"Ill? She's fine, she's just regenerating, it's not like she's been bitten by a snake or something-" Nanael stopped speaking and froze in place. "Oops..."

"How do you know that? Are you following us?!" she cried. Leina sighed and cried out to the sky.

"Both of you, be quiet for a second!"

Leina silenced the two and pushed herself off the ground, facing them as her face stopped glowing. Still dazed, she narrowed her eyes and stared at Nanael.

"…Who stuck wings on a person?" she asked. Nanael looked back and forth between Leina and Tomoe before letting out a loud groan to the sky.

"This is gonna take some explaining…" she muttered as the rain started to batter against the trees above.

* * *

Claudette thundered down the derelict road on horseback with the rain stinging against her determined and stern expression. She ignored the world around her, following what she assumed was Leina's trail. With God as her witness, she would hunt Leina to the end of the Earth.

"Hidden power? Just what was that fool talking about? If she considers this to be some kind of joke, then it's in very poor taste. I won't allow anyone else to suffer because of her actions. Mark my words, Leina, I am coming for you!"

* * *

With Leina's condition vastly improved, the three sat around the fire, although the mood had taken a tense turn. Nanael revealed who she was – with some exaggerations – but the subject of the Queen's Blade tournament returned after Nanael revealed who she was and what her 'job' was - that being in charge of broadcasting battles. Leina sat silently by the fire while Tomoe and Nanael spoke happily among themselves.

"So you've been following us ever since last night?"

"Yep! I arrived at the scene of the crime – well, the scene of regeneration – and tracked you both down. It's rare for a human to have such abilities!" replied Nanael. Internally however, she was just hiding behind a smile.

Rare? What am I talking about?! Humans shouldn't do that!

"Mhmm." Leina replied, disinterested. She tended to the fire, ignoring Tomoe's concerned gaze. Nanael on the other hand, acted completely oblivious to the tension, but was actually trying to devise a plan that would make these two women fight.

_Man, these two really don't have a strong relationship. Getting them to fight should be easy! As long as I don't let anything slip, of course..._

Nanael took out a small red handbook and flicked through the pages. Images of numerous fighters were spread across them. Eventually Nanael stopped at a page and pointed. "Here we are, 'Lady Tomoe – The Warrior Priestess' from Hinomoto. You've come a long way, haven't you? Now then, I assume both of you are going to be fighters in the Queen's Blade tournament? You're certainly dressed for the occasion," she asked, leaning in close with a raised brow and a sly grin. Tomoe dropped her gentle smile and turned to Leina. The steel warrior looked at Nanael with a low frown. The very idea that she could fight in the tournament troubled her greatly. Tomoe very quickly picked up on Leina's brewing anger and cleared her throat. Nanael herself didn't notice Leina's reaction.

"Well, I-"

"She is. I'm not"

Leina cut Tomoe off and continued adding to the fire, deliberately leaving the conversation. However, Nanael walked towards her with the same grin on her face – oblivious to Leina's mood, who began throwing the wood into the fire faster and more violently spitting embers into the air.

"Oh, is that so?" she asked. Leina closed her eyes and tried to block out Nanael's voice while holding a thick tree branch in her hand. "Well in my opinion, I don't see why you shouldn't be a fighter! It's a rare opportunity you know, and you become Queen if you win! Cool, huh?" she asked. Leina's grip on the branch tightened with each word Nanael said until her fist was almost clenched.

"Shut up." she hissed back at her. Tomoe sadly hung her head, awaiting the inevitable as Nanael inched closer to Leina, foolishly thinking she just wasn't interested. She began baring her snarling teeth.

"Aw come on! Don't be like that! You could be the best!"

"_**I said shut up**_!" she exploded, screaming at Nanael and crushing the branch in her hand in rage. Nanael jumped away from her with a frightened cry. Tomoe tried to calm her down but her words fell on deaf ears.

"Leina-"

"I am NOT going to be part of your damn tournament, you hear me?!" she cried out, staring intensely at Nanael – her eyes like piercing daggers. Nanael suddenly regretted thinking Leina was nothing more was a wannabe warrior. She still didn't have the skill, but she had the ability to scare her despite being a human being. She slowly nodded her head with a cold sweat on her forehead.

"…Yeah, I hear you, ma'am..." she whimpered. Leina's glare slowly weakened and with a short 'Hmph' she lay on her side and looked away from Nanael and Tomoe, still feeling ill. She closed her eyes and tried not to think any more about the subject, but Nanael's words kept the frown on her expression from loosening and her fist tightly clenched. Nervously and with her eye kept firmly on her, Nanael shuffled away from Leina and next to Tomoe who looked shaken by her outburst.

"What's got her in a bad mood?" asked Nanael. Tomoe turned to her and sighed. She knew the reason all too well but didn't want to upset Leina any further.

"The tournament is…a touchy subject. Please, don't hold it against her." she replied quietly. Mentally, Nanael began to piece together the real reason, looking at Leina with a thoughtful glance. She looked back at Tomoe with a frown.

"…Well, she could have been nicer about it, you know?" she replied. Leina's closed her eyes even tighter, trying not to get angry a second time but inside her heart beat furiously against her chest and her blood boiled. She may have wanted to follow in her mother's footsteps but more than that she wanted to avoid the exact route she took. In the end, that seemed impossible. Tomoe continued tending to the fire as Leina slowly fell into a deep sleep with the same bitter expression.

It wouldn't be the first time.

* * *

**The Following Morning**

"So, are you both sure you don't want to fight? It doesn't even have to be part of the Queen's Blade. Just a friendly spar!" asked Nanael for what must have been the tenth time that morning. Leina ignored her question – adjusting her eyes to the sun shining down on her face and stretching her limbs. Wearing her armor all day and night left her muscles in agony so her mood began dropping the moment she woke up.

"I won't fight her. Leina is far too inexperienced to match up to me. And that's not being boastful; I'm just stating a fact." replied Tomoe. Nanael put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. Tomoe's attitude rubbed her the wrong way – as innocent as it may have been. Leina glared at Tomoe from the corner of her eye but remained silent. As right as she was, she could have been more subtle about it.

"You sure?" she asked again. Leina groaned and walked towards Nanael with the same frown she wore the previous night. She had only known Nanael for less than twelve hours and she was already tired of her.

"Why are you even here? Did you follow us just to make us fight?" she asked aggressively. Nanael backed up as Leina approached, fearful of another outburst. She had to think fast, but looking into Leina's judgmental eyes, Nanael stalled.

"No, I…Uh…I-I'm here to explain your regeneration abilities! I didn't do that, did I? Nah, I don't think I did." she replied in a panic. Leina relented, crossing her arms and tapping her foot on the ground. She didn't buy her explanation but all the same, she was more than curious about her powers. Tomoe pretended not to pay attention.

"Alright then, explain." she replied. Nanael smiled and cleared her throat, walking around Leina as she spoke with a business-like tone – examining her new armor and the red marks on her skin.

"Regeneration is the ability to recover from bruises, cuts, stab wounds and all that good stuff - poisons included of course. If you take a non-fatal blow, it'll heal faster than the average human. If you break a bone, it'll naturally reform without any problems as well. You humans are so fragile that I'm surprised that all of you don't regenerate." she explained. Both Leina and Tomoe thought about their attacks two nights ago.

"But if you're stupid enough to allow yourself to get really messed up, your body will expel all the energy inside of you to bring you back to life, which is the golden energy you see. A few things though; don't let yourself get badly hurt right after a full regeneration. You have to allow your energy to recover first. Go down twice in a row and you're not getting back up again!"

"Sounds reasonable enough. Kinda makes me sound invulnerable." replied Leina, clenching her hand with a cocky grin. Nanael nervously rubbed the back of her head and forced a smile.

"Yeeeeaaah, about that…If you get 'killed' before you can regenerate, you're not going to survive. If you're blown to pieces or beheaded or something else that kills you instantly, don't expect to come back. You're not invincible." she replied with a serious tone. Leina's grin dropped. "Also I'm not entirely sure but I think drowning will kill you if you're not brought back fast enough."

"So there are limits after all." muttered Tomoe. "I think it would be best if you try not to rely on your powers. If you win your battles just because you can heal, think about what the outcome would be if you couldn't. You'd lose every fight." she said factually.

"Well she'll still feel pain, so unless she's into that sort of thing that won't be a problem." replied Nanael. Leina scoffed and adjusted her armor. She just wanted to get going or at least have Nanael go away. Either one suited her.

"Well thanks for the pep talk. If you don't mind, we'll be off now." she said, looking to Tomoe. She nodded in approval, picking up their sacks of supplies. Nanael began running low on options.

"Already?!" she cried. Leina ignored her and began walking away. However, she only managed three steps before a new voice rang through the forest floors.

"You're not going anywhere, Leina Vance."

Leina's expression – and body - froze as her mind processed the voice and who it belonged to. Her body creaked round turned to total terror. Nanael and Tomoe's heads snapped round to the shadows to find a lone, tall, and imposing figure watching them. Leina slowly turned around to face it, fear in her eyes. She knew the voice all too well and to hear it already spelt one thing for her; failure.

The figure emerged with her classic disapproving green-eyed gaze. Claudette had already found her after only two days. Leina had no words to say to anyone; even Nanael didn't anticipate this outcome. She never imagined she would be found that fast and after traveling this far, although the heavy bags under Claudette's eyes let her know just how desperate she was.

"No, not again…"

"Leina? Who is this?" asked Tomoe. Once again, she found her hand moving slowly towards her sword out of protective instinct. Claudette didn't look at Tomoe, instead keeping her gaze on Leina.

"I'm Leina's older sister. I'm here to take her home"


End file.
